A Game of War
by ivory-sword
Summary: When Aspen, a young photojournalist from New York, meets Steve Rogers America has yet to join the war, but when it does, the war sweeps them both off to face Hydra's forces. When they meet again on the front, they find that heroism comes from within and the price of freedom is high. This story can stand alone but is based off of my character from my Avengers series.
1. Whispers of War

**Author's Note:** Welcome to my new story! I want to say right away that this story can stand alone with no confusion if you haven't read my _Game of Trust_ series. But it does involve my main character from those. This started out as a simple one-shot – what if my character Aspen had met Steve in the 1940s? What would change, how would they meet, react to each other? I started it and then it was suddenly 100 pages. I'm very excited for this one though. It goes into some of the Howling Commandos' missions that we don't really get to see in the movie. It also adds a little different twist to the end.

If you have read my other Avengers stories, welcome and thank you for reading this one! If you are new to my writing, I really hope you enjoy and please feel free to check out my other stories. Even though the characters are the same, this story has a different feel to it.

I am completely finished writing and editing this story, so I will try to post daily. Please don't be shy about leaving a review! I'd love to hear from you! Thank you for reading!

-1-

**December 5****th****, 1941 Manhattan, New York**

Aspen Tolvar stood by the tall windows at the side of the classroom watching the snow drift lazily down to dot the pavement outside. It was just the distraction she needed after the letter she had received that morning informing her that her parents had gone missing a week earlier. The science society they worked for hadn't given her the details just said that they hadn't been seen since the last week in November. They hadn't left their notice, hadn't told anyone where they were going, and so they were presumed missing. Condolences. They would be looking into it. Aspen had crumpled the letter. She wasn't close to her parents, and they hadn't spoken to her in over a year. Their work kept them busy and their daughter's lack of interest in science was a disappointment to them. They were probably off discovering a new element or studying something of interest in some foreign place. It wasn't the first time they'd up and left, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel some worry despite all this. They were her parents after all.

Aspen had chosen to be a photojournalist instead. Her keen observation skills and curiosity made her a natural at it. She also taught a photography class at the local school. It was a small class, but the fee allowed her to keep a one-room flat in lower Manhattan. She lived a quiet life and as far as she was concerned, that wasn't a bad thing.

Her photography class had ended, and she didn't hear the students begin to arrive for the following art class until a soft voice tentatively said, "Ma'am?" She turned around to find herself facing a blonde boy who stood an inch or so shorter than her. His pallid face was lit up by a set of dazzling blue eyes that reminded Aspen of the sky after a light rain. There was something both shy and curious in his gaze. She realized she was staring, and nervously tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I was just wondering if Mrs. Shefferd was going to be here today for her drawing class?"

Aspen forced a smile, pushing her thoughts to the side. "She should be here any minute."

"Are you in the class too?" another voice asked. Aspen looked over at the other boy who had entered the classroom with the blonde. He was taller and well-built with dark, slicked back hair and greyish blue eyes. His eyes danced with confidence as met her gaze and his lips rose in a lopsided smile. They both looked to be a few years older than her in their early twenties.

"No, I teach the photography class before this," she said.

"We should have signed up for that one," he said to his blonde friend, nudging his shoulder in a familiar way. He gave Aspen an appraising look. His friend's ears went pink, and he looked embarrassed at his friend's behavior. "Why don't you stick around? If we're doing figures, I found my model."

Aspen smiled sweetly. She'd played this game with boys before. As a journalist, she'd learned how to take care of herself in a city run by men. "I hear they bring some of the ladies from the nursing home across the street in for portraits. I'll bet they'd be lining up to pose for you." She pulled her jacket on and grabbed her camera bag, swinging it over her shoulder. "Have fun."

She heard the dark-haired boy give a low whistle as she left and the blonde berating him for talking to her like that. She smiled to herself and pulled her collar up as she stepped outside. The snowflakes were falling more thickly now and the cold nipped her cheeks and nose. She began her walk home. A newspaper boy stood on the corner selling papers. _War!_ the headlines read. _Will the Red, White, and Blue join the Allies in their fight against the Axis?_ With all the talk of war, winter seemed a little drearier this year. Tucking her hands in the pockets of her jacket, Aspen tried to find a tiny bit of warmth as she walked on into the snow, the word 'war!' ringing in her ears like an ever-tolling bell.

**December 6****th**

It snowed throughout the next day making it difficult to get around. Aspen forced her way to her class despite this. Even if she only had one student, she was determined to be there. By the time she left, the snow was coming down in torrents, and she buttoned her coat up to her neck, looping her scarf around for good measure. "Oh! Sorry." She had nearly run into the blonde boy she'd seen the day before as she fumbled with her scarf.

"My fault," he said, ducking his head awkwardly. Of course it wasn't his fault, but she smiled and let him apologize. By the way he stared at his feet and flushed, she realized he wasn't adept at talking to girls.

"Art class?" Of course he was there for art class, now who wasn't adept at conversation?

He nodded anyway with a polite "Yes, ma'am." He finally looked up at her, bright blue eyes catching hers. That's when she noticed that his lower lip was cut and swollen. She was about to ask what had happened when his darker haired friend caught up. He smiled widely the second he saw her, and she braced herself for his words.

"Hey again! Funny how we keep running into each other," he said cheerfully, his eyes twinkling almost mischievously.

She forced a pleasant smile. "Fancy that."

"You know, we were severely lacking in models yesterday. You sure you don't want to join us?" He flashed a grin. "Maybe after class we could go dancing?"

"That's kind of you, but I don't dance," she said politely, cheeks warming at his attention. It wasn't that she'd never been asked out before. She just wasn't interested in the boys who flirted incessantly with her because she was just another pretty face. She was waiting for…well, someone who didn't try so hard for her attention. Someone who wanted to take the time to really get to know her. There were a lot of women in New York, and she knew this boy was only taking advantage of her being right here.

The dark-haired boy nodded, undeterred. "Alright. Maybe hot chocolate's more your style. I make a fantastic hot chocolate."

"Maybe some other time. I have to go." She glanced at the blonde boy. "Goodbye," she said, giving him a small smile. She brushed past his friend and headed toward the doors. "Huh," she heard the dark-haired boy say to his friend. "I think she likes you better."

Aspen allowed herself a smile before stepping onto the street and into the biting cold.

**December 7****th**

It had stopped snowing by the next day, but night had left a thin coating of powder on the ground. Aspen could feel her ears freezing under her short red waves. The metal of her earrings bit the insides of her ears, and she was grateful to reach the warmth of the school building.

She could tell that everyone's mind was on the war because concentration was low. She was late getting out of the building again as she stayed to develop some photos in the small storage closet she used as a dark room. When she left her photos drying, the classroom had already filled up. She spotted the two boys she kept running into. The blonde was absent-mindedly doodling. She could tell he had skill by the intricate city scene he drew, the pencil grasped lightly in his right hand. The dark-haired boy winked at her, and she looked away.

Mrs. Shefferd was fumbling with the knobs on the radio that sat on the desk. "I keep it on just in case anything important is announced," she said. "You never know with all this talk about the war."

The radio cleared, and a man's excited voice came on over the frequency. "President Roosevelt has just announced America's participation in the war. I repeat, America is at war!" All talking ceased for a moment as the words on the radio sunk in, then suddenly everyone was talking. The blonde and his dark-haired friend remained silent. Aspen could see the determination in their eyes though and knew without a doubt they'd be visiting the enlistment offices soon.

"I reckon I'll sign up," one man said to the man next to him.

"Me too."

Aspen felt a stab of fear. Did these men really know what they were signing up for? They were still boys really, still so young. She could already see the people dying, already hear the sobs of their families as they were delivered the condolence letters. As a photojournalist, it was her job to separate herself from the emotional side of her stories, but it wasn't always possible. Now she found herself overwhelmed. She muttered a goodbye to Mrs. Shefferd and hurried from the room. As she went, the blonde boy looked up at her, his blue eyes meeting her green ones. He wasn't muscular, wasn't strong, but the bravery in his eyes surprised her. She threw him a nervous smile before shutting the door behind her.


	2. What Makes a Soldier

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the reviews and the favorite and watches! Wow! Glad you guys are enjoying so far. So at first I just had it from Aspen's point of view, but then I realized it really needed Steve's point of view too to tell the story. So here you go - some pre-serum Steve!

**December 7th**

The words on the radio echoed in Steve Rogers's head. "_America is at war!"_ All around him the boys in his art class started speaking at the same time. He turned to look at his friend Bucky, and the stoic calmness in his best friend's eyes reassured him. The young photography teacher was standing at the front of the classroom next to the art teacher, but now she hurried past, meeting his eyes for a moment before leaving. They were a brilliant green that he couldn't seem to stop thinking about the last few days. He couldn't read the expression behind her eyes, but she gave him a small smile as she left.

"I think perhaps under these circumstances, class will be dismissed and cancelled for today," Mrs. Shefferd said from the front of the classroom.

As the students got up from their seats and shuffled out of the room, Steve shut his notebook and tucked it into his bag along with his drawing pencils.

"Thank goodness my boys aren't old enough to enlist," Mrs. Shefferd said as she passed them. Her eyes fell on Steve, and he could see the sorrow there, the so predictable doubt. "I suppose you boys will be enlisting?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Bucky answered for them. Steve just nodded.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Shefferd said softly. "I'm sorry, it's just so hard to lose so many good men to war. Best of luck to you boys." She left the classroom in a hurry.

Steve looked at Bucky. "It's like we've got the death sentence," he said.

"She's just worried. A lot of those boys won't be coming home."

"I'm still enlisting. I want to serve." He knew Bucky wasn't the one who needed convincing, but felt the need to voice that. Other people might see him as small, weak even, but they couldn't feel the same determination that he felt. He needed to serve his country, and he was willing to lay down his life to do so, but would that willingness be enough for him to get in?

As if reading his thoughts, Bucky said, "We'd better get you trained up a little before we enlist. I hear boxing is a good way to build up some muscle fast. I could use some practice," he added. Steve shot him a grateful smile.

"That'd be great, Buck."

"We'll train together and show them what a real soldier looks like."

"Sounds good."

"I know a gym in Brooklyn. Let's go sign up." Bucky grabbed his bag and headed toward the door. "You coming?"

Steve got up and followed him out of the school building. Outside the newspaper boys were shouting about the war, and it was as if the bubble of tension had burst. Now there was both excitement over America joining the war and sorrow as fathers and brothers and sons prepared to enlist. Not everyone who went off to war was going to return home. The price of war was high, the price of freedom even higher, but he was willing to pay it. He just hoped that willingness was enough for them to give him a chance.

**December 8****th**

"I want a story on how the boys of New York are responding to the call to war," Aspen's editor at the newspaper office told her the next day. "Show me training, show me recruiting offices, show me men kissing their dames goodbye. Get some good, solid pictures and some quotes."

Aspen gulped.

"I've got a story for you right here. Goldie's Boxing Gym in Brooklyn. I hear a lot of boys have taken up a membership there to prepare for recruitment. Find a couple and get their story. We need someone the people of America are going to root for. Take some good action shots. I'm counting on you, Pen." He used the nickname he had given her when she'd started working for him. Her boss was the closest father figure she had and had never laughed at the idea of a woman reporter.

"Here's the address," her boss told her, handing her a brochure for the boxing gym. She took it from him. "Use your press pass and that charming smile of yours," he said. "The boys will being tripping over each other to get an interview with you."

She rolled her eyes. "You got it, boss." She stood, pulling her camera bag over her shoulder and left the office. Hailing a cab, she gave the driver instructions to take her to Goldie's Boxing Gym.

…

The gym was exactly how she expected it: hot and pungent with the smell of sweaty men. It was also filled with an assortment of young men who all looked as if they were trying to work their bodies into shape for the war. A few of them gave her an interested look as she entered. She flashed her press pass at one of the trainers. "Mind if I get a few shots of America's young men preparing to go to the front?" she asked. "Get a word here and there?"

"Fine by me," he said with a curt nod. "Business never been better. An article won't do no wrong."

"Much appreciated, sir," she said. She moved around the room, taking shots now and again. She interviewed a few muscular young men who wanted to serve their country in any way that they could. Most of the stories were the same and, though she knew America would be rooting for them, none of their stories really stood out to her. That was when she noticed two familiar faces. The dark-haired boy was teaching the blonde some techniques in one of the boxing rings. Without their shirts, she could see a very obvious contrast in their physique. The dark-haired boy was fairly muscular and obviously quite strong. The blonde was thin, almost no muscles to be seen. She could see is rib cage as he strained to keep up. His friend worked patiently with him though, and Aspen stood back to watch for a few minutes. The dedication the dark-haired boy showed for his weaker friend impressed her. She snapped a shot and then walked over as they took a rest, drying themselves off with towels. As they pulled their shirts back over their heads, Aspen spoke.

"That looks like it takes a lot of work," she said. They looked over at her. The blonde's eyes widened in surprise, and the dark-haired boy grinned.

"Well, hello," he said. "Just can't stay away, can you?"

"I work for the Ticonderoga Sentinel," she told him. "I'm here for a story." She turned to the blonde boy. "Are you planning on recruiting?" she asked him.

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "If they'll take me."

"That's why we're training. Got to get some muscles on these arms," his friend said good-naturedly, ruffling the blonde's hair. "I'm Bucky Barnes," he added, holding out a hand for her to shake.

"Aspen Tolvar," Aspen introduced herself, taking his hand. She looked at the blonde.

"Steve Rogers," he said shyly, patting down his ruffled hair before taking her hand.

"Why do you want to enlist if you don't mind me asking?" she aimed the question at Steve.

"I want to serve my country," he said.

"Me too," Bucky put in. "It's our duty to keep dames like you safe."

Aspen spared him a glance. "Some _dames_ wish they could fight too."

"You want to fight?" Bucky asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

"Why not? We're Americans too."

"Yeah, but it just doesn't happen. Do you know how to fight?" he asked.

"Bucky," Steve said in warning.

"I do as it happens," Aspen said, rising to the bait.

"Could you take on a man twice your size?" he asked, his face serious.

"It's not all a matter of strength," she told him. "Speed, agility, intelligence. They count too."

"Well, if they change the rules, I'll let you know," he said. "We could use some soldiers like you."

"Any reservations about joining the army?" she asked, pushing aside the satisfaction she felt at Bucky's words.

"None," Bucky replied.

Steve hesitated, and Aspen gave him an encouraging smile. "Just that they won't think I'm strong enough," he confessed. "That they might judge me on physical strength and not the strength of perseverance."

"I hope they don't do that," she said with a smile. "Courage isn't just for the physically strong. Well, thank you. I'm just getting some different perspectives on joining the army. Would you mind if I stopped by in a week or so to see how you're progressing?" she asked.

"We don't mind at all," Bucky answered. "Do we, Steve?"

Steve shook his head. "Great," Aspen said brightly. "I'll see you in a week. Or maybe before your art class if you're still attending. Half my class left so they could enlist."

"We'll be there for awhile more," Steve said.

Aspen sent them another smile before leaving, stowing her notepad and pen in her bag. Deep inside her heart she was weeping for people like Steve Rogers who had the bravest and noblest of souls but didn't stand a chance on the front lines. Those were the men who were remembered but didn't make it home. She had found the man America would be rooting for.

**December 12****th**

Steve ducked as Bucky sent a blow at his head. "Sorry. You gotta move faster. Try to predict my next move," Bucky said, pulling back.

"It's no use," Steve said. "I'm not getting any better."

"Yeah you are," Bucky encouraged him. "You just don't see it yet."

Steve was grateful for Bucky's encouragement, but the truth of the matter was he wasn't improving. Of course they hadn't been at it long, but Steve knew a lost cause when he saw one. He just wasn't physically strong. His body wasn't built like the men around him whose muscular arms were the very image of a soldier. Steve didn't look like a soldier. He tried not to let this discourage him, but he realized he needed to prove in other ways that he could be a good soldier. They had decided to enlist the day before Christmas giving themselves nearly a month to train, but Steve wasn't sure it would be enough. He wasn't giving up though.

"Hey, maybe that red-headed dame will be back. That could be a big motivator," Bucky said, giving Steve a grin.

"She has a name, you know," Steve said.

"Aspen, was it?"

"Yeah." Steve thought back to the reporter who also taught photography classes at the school. She'd looked right at him like he was just as important as the next man. Not many women did that. Not _any_ that he'd found. They all just looked straight through him like he wasn't even there. He was used to it by now. Bucky was the one with the luck. He was the one with the girls, but Steve never had excelled in that department.

"You like her, don't you?" Bucky asked.

"She's nice," Steve replied.

"Just nice, huh?" Bucky didn't look convinced. "And smart and beautiful and she's got quite the tongue on her. She certainly isn't afraid to speak her mind. You should ask her out."

Steve gave his friend a nervous look. "I don't think she's interested in going on a date," he said. "She made that pretty clear."

"She made it clear that she wasn't interested in going on a date with _me_," Bucky corrected. "Which is completely absurd, but it's a big pond."

"Can we focus on the boxing?" Steve asked.

"Alright, alright," Bucky gave in, positioning himself. "So like I was saying, try to predict my next move. Watch my eyes and my feet."

Steve raised his hands with a sigh. _I'm trying_, he thought.

**December 14****th**

It was both heartening and sad to watch Steve and Bucky practicing boxing. Aspen thought that Steve had improved though he still wasn't too adept at it. It wasn't that he had no skill for fighting. His mind was quick, but his blows weren't strong and he tired quickly. Aspen would never ask, but she suspected that he had several health issues that were getting in the way of him improving. She didn't take any pictures this time. Instead she stood and watched until they had finished and walked over to her.

"How's he doing?" Bucky asked with a genial smile. Steve looked nervous and pale.

"Like a pro," she said. Steve gave her a hesitant smile like he knew she didn't mean it but appreciated it nonetheless. "When do you enlist?" she asked.

"We're planning on December 24th," Bucky said. "Seems like a good day, and we'll both be ready by then, right Steve?"

Steve didn't look so sure, but he gave a firm nod anyway. Aspen could tell how much he wanted to be accepted, but she knew he doubted himself too despite his determination. "I'll keep my fingers crossed," Aspen told them.

"You know, we were just saying how we were going to go to the movies to celebrate afterwards. You wouldn't be interested in going, would you?" Bucky asked.

"I've got plans, but thank you," Aspen said quickly. It was a lie, but she couldn't let herself get close to people. There was a good chance she wouldn't see either boy again after the war and getting to be friends with them seemed too heartbreaking. It was one of the lessons she'd learned early on in life. People were apt to leave and never come back. It wasn't worth getting close, getting attached. It was her job to report, not to get emotionally invested. Why was it then that when she left Steve and Bucky, she felt a stab of regret? She wanted to keep following their story but not so she could write it. She wanted to know how it ended. Signing their name into the Army might seem like something to celebrate to them, but was it not also signing over their lives? There was no guarantee that they would ever come back. It was easy to get caught up in what was won in wars, but there was always more lost than won.


	3. Salute Our Heroes

**Ticonderoga Sentinel**

**December 16****th****, 1941**

_Salute Our Heroes_

_There's nothing quite like a declaration of war to rouse the patriotism of America's young men. As young and old flock to the recruiting centers to be judged fit or unfit, dreams of becoming a hero spread like wildfire. Despite the threat of war, excitement is tangible in the air as the men are weighed and measured. _

"_It's my duty to serve my country," states Ronald Harlow of Queens, New York. "It's every man's duty. A war was never won by sitting at home."_

_The decision to join the war has been long debated by President Roosevelt and congress. Rumors of a scientific answer to war have been brewing but when asked to comment on the subject, a spokesman assured us that "war was won by men."_

_And indeed I got a firsthand look at the men who will be fighting for an Ally victory. Harold Brett, owner of Goldie's Boxing Gym located in Brooklyn, New York enthuses that his gym has never been so full. Men of all sizes and strengths flock to test their military prowess in the ring. What starts as good-natured horseplay will all too soon be real as deployment dates are set. _

_It brings about a sense of pride to see these young men willing to lay down their lives so that we may, together, build a better future. But we cannot ignore the stab of sorrow looking at these men – some still boys – who may never return home. They are heroes to go to war but a hero can still die whether by bullet or bomb or sickness in the mud of the trenches. _

_Do they really understand what it is they're signing onto? Will they understand before the fear and the pain and the loss set in? Will it be when they kiss their wives and mothers and children goodbye not knowing if they'll ever see their faces again? With victory comes sacrifice, with war comes death. _

_So when you see these brave sons of America leaving the recruitment centers with their deployment papers, give them salute and let them know you're rooting for them. What they do, whether they realize it yet or not, makes them heroes. In a time of war, we need a hero, we need a captain, we need someone to wear our Red, White, and Blue with pride. _

_We salute you and honor your dedication to our country's freedom. We join in a war against one of the greatest bullies the world has ever known. We send him a message: We are not afraid of you. We stand together as a nation, and we will not be bullied. _

_Aspen Tolvar, Special Correspondent_

"There," Aspen said, handing over a typed copy of her article. Her boss read it over.

"Depressing as usual. Where's the patriotic rah rah?" He glowered at her.

"With all due respect, sir, they're not going off to a celebration. A lot of them won't be coming back at all."

"People don't want to read about that though."

"Then make someone else write it." They glared at each other for a few moments.

"Got some photos?" Aspen tossed the developed photos onto his desk. He pawed through them, grumbling to himself. "Fine, fine," he said. "It'll run tomorrow." He always criticized her articles, insisting that they were depressing, but she knew he secretly loved her candid words. He fingered the photo of Steve and Bucky she had taken. Bucky was showing Steve how to block. The look on Steve's face was that of utmost concentration. "Poor sap doesn't stand a chance," her boss said with a sympathetic smile.

The protectiveness that rose up in Aspen surprised her. "He should stand just as much chance as the next man," she snapped. "He wants so badly to help his country that he's willing to lay down his life no matter what his chances."

"Easy, girl. It's just the truth." He set down the photo and held up a hand.

"He's got heart. That counts just as much as physical strength."

Her boss gave her an odd look. "You okay? Usually you don't get this connected to an article."

"He's a person, not an article," she said. "I didn't even include him in the article." She wasn't sure why. It just didn't feel right. She didn't want people looking at his picture and judging him without really knowing him.

Her boss sighed. "Listen, do a follow up. See if this kid makes it. We could have a lot of interest in his story."

Aspen shook her head. "I'm not bothering him," she said.

"That's your job, sweetie. Take it or leave it."

"Just assign me something else."

"Hey, Penny, what's this all about? You can't fool me. Something's wrong. My best girl is backing out of a good story. Sit."

Aspen sighed and pulled out the chair across from him. "It's just the idea that the people I interview might not come back…"

"You're thinking of your parents."

Aspen nodded. "They never came back. I was sixteen when they left. Three years and all I got was one telegram telling me not to worry. Glad they aren't worried. What could be worrying about their nineteen year old daughter living on her own in Brooklyn?" She laughed without humor. She hadn't told him that they were missing. She didn't want him to worry more.

"That's not right, kid."

She sighed. "I know, Bill," she said. "But life isn't usually fair."

**December 24****th**

As it turned out, Aspen didn't get the chance to speak with Steve or Bucky before their trip to the recruitment center. Due to most of her students leaving, her photography class had been cancelled until further notice. She still had some of her photos hanging in the dark room which was how she found herself walking to the school on Christmas Eve. A light snow was falling, landing on her red hair like heaven's sprinkles. She resisted the urge to stick out her tongue and try to catch one. Such a childish act seemed inappropriate when everything else in the world was so serious right now.

She was surprised to find that someone was sitting on the front step of the school. As she approached, he looked up and she found herself looking into Steve's bright blue eyes. His skin was pale as the snow and his frame, if possible, looked even thinner than it had the day they'd met.

"Steve, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Sorry," he said softly. "I just needed somewhere to sit and think. This was the first place I thought of."

"Where's Bucky?"

"He went home. I told him I needed some time to myself."

Aspen sat down next to him, brushing the snow aside so that she could sit without getting too wet. "How did it go?" she asked. "Did you try to recruit?"

Steve was quiet for a long moment, staring straight ahead. Then, still without looking at her, he said, "I didn't get in."

"Oh."

"They said they were doing me a favor. I don't see how."

Aspen was quiet. She didn't know how to respond. She felt a mixture of emotions – sadness and disappointment knowing how much he had wanted this and also a sense of relief. He wasn't going to die. Not in this war. "What about Bucky?"

"He got in just fine."

"They'll see that it takes more than muscles to make a soldier."

"Bucky will make a great soldier. I'm going to keep trying."

"Once they reject you, you can't keep trying, can you?" she asked.

"I'll try a different recruit center. Change my place of birth. Someone has to accept me." The determination in his voice surprised Aspen. She could see just how much he wanted this.

"You can serve in other ways, you know. Without resorting to illegal means."

"How?" He finally looked at her. She was taken aback by the depth of emotion she saw in his eyes.

"Do you have a family?"

"No, ma'am," he said. "It's just me."

"Me too," she said softly. "There are other things to do besides join the Army though. You don't have to be in the front lines to join the war effort."

"I can't sit at home safe while men are out there risking their lives. It's my duty."

"Then I hope you get in," she told him. "Because our country needs more men like you."

He seemed to consider her words. "I read your article," he said after a pause.

"Oh. What did you think?" she asked, biting her lip.

"I like the way you speak. You didn't just overhype the war, you made it real too. All those men celebrate, but they forget what this is really about, what it really entails. You didn't forget that." He looked at her, none of the shyness he'd shown the last few weeks there now. She looked back, surprised by his words.

"Most people think I'm too bold," she said finally. "I have a lot of people scoff at me being a woman photojournalist."

"You're much more polite than other journalists I've seen."

Aspen smiled. "Well, I tend to get more people to talk when I bat my eyelashes and throw a smile. I have a feeling your friend would be tripping over himself to answer my questions if I tried my charm on him."

Steve smiled, and Aspen realized it was the first time she had seen him smile so genuinely. "Yeah, probably. He always has had a soft spot for dames – _girls_ – like you."

Aspen smiled wider. "Well, dames like me know what we like. I'm afraid he wouldn't get too far with me." They fell silent. "Do you have somewhere to go tonight?" Aspen asked. "I mean, someone to be with?"

"No, ma'am." Steve's face fell.

"Me neither." She paused, contemplating an idea. "How about we spend it together?" He looked at her in surprise. "You have no one to spend it with and nor do I, so why don't we celebrate Christmas Eve together? Wasn't there a movie at the theatre tonight?"

"Yeah. Bucky wanted to bring some girls."

"Is he there now?" She frowned.

"No, he went home."

"Why don't we go get him? He can bring whichever girl he likes. We'll have a great time!"

"Alright." He sounded hesitant.

"Unless you want to be alone?" she asked, hoping this wasn't the case. She had intended to spend the night alone, but now the thought sounded depressing.

"I'd rather not."

"It's a deal then." She took his arm and they stood. His ears tinged pink, but he didn't let go of her arm as they walked through the swirling snow together.


	4. Joining the Fight

**Author's Note: **I'll post two chapters tonight because this one is kind of short. I didn't write the story with chapters, just scenes with dates, so when I went to break them up, some of them turned out kind of long, others really short.

**June 14****th****, 1943 Queens, New York**

Aspen flashed a photo of the World Exposition of Tomorrow. She was writing an article on it and had even snagged an interview with the famous Howard Stark. Her boss had made sure to inform her that Stark was a ladies man and that she should pour on the extra charm. Aspen wasn't sure she was feeling charming tonight, but she put on her best smile and approached a man and his wife. "Hello, I'm Aspen Tolvar from the Ticonderoga Sentinel. Do you mind if I talk to you about your impressions of the Exposition?"

After a half a dozen conversations coupled with photos, Aspen's smile was forced. She found a corridor near the recruiting office and rested her back against the wall, taking in deep breaths to try to clear her head. It had been a long two years filled with stories on death and loss. The war still raged, and there had already been too many deaths.

"Miss Tolvar?" She looked up at the sound of her name and the familiar voice.

"Steve?" The blonde-haired boy smiled at her, and Aspen smiled back, this time genuinely. "What are you doing here?" She had seen Steve in passing over the last two years, but after the night of Christmas Eve when they'd gone to the movies together, they hadn't had much contact. She didn't go to the school anymore since her classes had been cancelled, and Bill had kept her busy writing articles. She missed their little conversations, but life had a way of pulling her along in a separate direction.

"I came here with Bucky, but then I decided to visit the recruiting office," Steve told her.

"Did you get in?" Her eyes slid to the paper he was holding.

"I did!" he told her excitedly. His eyes were fairly glowing. "They decided to give me a chance."

"That's great, Steve." Aspen's smile slid.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his own smile fading.

"I've just seen so much death, well, reported on it. I don't want to see anyone else die," she told him. "But hey, don't listen to me. I'm happy for you. You wanted to serve, and now you can. When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow," Steve told her.

"So soon?"

"For training anyway. Are you writing an article?"

"I am, yes. I suppose I should go find Mr. Stark and get a few words on his flying car." She grimaced.

"It was good to see you," Steve told her.

"You too. I wish you the best of luck," she said, holding out her hand. He took it and gave it a warm squeeze.

"See you when the war is won then," he said.

"I'll be counting on it," she told him before he walked away, papers clenched in his hand. She stared after him for a long while until she realized she had missed Howard Stark altogether.

…

"I'm going to sign up to join the Army as a nurse," Aspen said, handing in a letter of resignation to her boss the next day.

"What's this?" he asked. "Where did this come from?"

"I can't just sit here while men are out there giving their lives. I write about them all the time, but I'm not doing anything to help."

"Slow down, doll," he said, holding up his hands. "Let's talk about this. How about we make a deal. You go serve your country _and_ you send back stories and photos."

Aspen considered this. "I could do that," she said. "But I'm not going to put someone at risk by stopping to take a photo."

"Of course not." He gave her a long look. "Your parents would be so proud of you," he finally said. "They should be here to tell you that." She didn't tell him that they were still presumed missing according to their workplace or that she had received a short telegraph from them telling her not to worry and that they were working on a top secret government project.

Instead she smiled. "Thank you, Bill."

"Knock em' dead, sweetheart."


	5. Fear and Pain

**Author's Note:** I felt bad that the last chapter was so short, so I'll post another one. I swear the rest are longer from here on out. I have no idea why I wrote it out this way. It made it really hard to break into chapters. I like a challenge I guess.

I'm having a Chris Evans film day tomorrow with my best friend. I'm really excited about that. Last time we watched The Perfect Score and What's Your Number. The latter was adorable and hilarious and the first pretty good except the dvd skipped so badly we couldn't even watch the ending. I think I'm up to 9 movies I've seen him in. Yup... We have a problem.

-2-

**April 23****th****, 1944 Danish border**

"We need more bandages over here!" Aspen shouted. She pressed a cloth down onto a soldier's abdomen trying to staunch the bleeding. "This man is going to bleed out unless he gets attention." Another nurse hurried over with an armful of fresh bandages. "I need to remove the bullet, but we need to staunch the bleeding as soon as I get it out. There's going to be a lot of blood. Can you handle the blood?"

The younger nurse nodded though her eyes were wide with fear. Aspen removed the blood-soaked cloth and took up a set of tweezers. Her hands were coated in the man's blood, but she kept her them steady as she dug the bullet out. It clicked as she set it on the tray next to the cot. The nurse had already staunched the bleeding, putting pressure on the wound. The man had fallen unconscious somewhere between being half-dragged off the field and getting the bullet removed.

"We need to sterilize the wound and bandage it. He's lost a lot of blood, but he should pull through. He's a fighter." Aspen readied the antiseptic and cleaned the blood from the wound. The bullet hadn't gone very deep, and the bleeding had slowed. The nurse wrapped the man's torso while Aspen and another nurse helped lift the body off the cot enough to wrap the bandage around him. "He just needs to rest for now," Aspen said. She walked over the basin of water and began to clean the blood from her hands and wrists. The water turned scarlet, and she repressed a shiver.

At first the blood had been too much for her. She'd nearly panicked the first time she'd seen a war injury. A man had gotten too close to a grenade and lost half the skin on his face. He'd lost an eye too. Aspen hadn't been able to look at the wounds without wanting to gag, but she'd forced herself to help him. He'd survived, and she realized that even though he'd lost the use of half his face, he would still be able to live his life. She wasn't sure what kind of life it would be but if there was one thing she had learned from the war it was that any life was a gift when it hung on such a delicate thread. It didn't take much to break that thread. She'd seen lots of good men die.

Gunfire made her look up. She grabbed a towel and walked to the entrance of the tent. "It's getting closer," she said. The other nurses cast her a worried look.

"You don't think they'll come here, do you?" the younger nurse asked. Aspen glanced at her. She couldn't have been more than nineteen. What had made her choose to serve as a nurse on the front? Was her beau fighting oversees? Her father? Her brother? Had she decided that her life would have more of a purpose if she served her country's heroes? Aspen wasn't entirely sure why she'd come here. All she'd seen was death and pain. She'd sent several stories and pictures back to her boss, but everything she'd written had been all too real. She could usually distance herself from a story, but here it was impossible. Her thoughts flitted to Steve. She thought of him from time to time. She wondered where he was, if he was still alive, if joining the Army was everything he'd thought it would be. She didn't doubt his courage or his heart but this was a rough place to be for the strongest of men.

An explosion nearby shattered her thoughts. "It's getting closer," one of the nurses repeated Aspen's words from a minute before. Shouting could be heard now, and Aspen set down the towel.

"Stay here," she told the younger nurse. Aspen wasn't the oldest, but she had earned her spot as the head nurse in this regiment. She left the medic tent and found one of the commanders. "What's happening?" she asked.

"Nothing to worry about," he told her briskly.

"My ladies are getting nervous," she said. "They want to know what's happening."

"The Germans are closer than we expected," he said after a pause. "This isn't really the kind of news I like to give out to a woman. I don't want you getting frightened."

Aspen bristled. "I just removed a bullet from a man's gut. I think I can handle a little bad news," she told him sharply.

He looked her over and then gave her a nod. "We might have to retreat," he told her. "The scouts should be back any minute. Have your ladies prepare to move the patients."

"Some of them can't be moved right now," Aspen told him with a frown.

"Well it's either be moved or be left behind," he said.

"Then I'll stay with them."

He gave her a sharp look. "There's a chance you'll be captured. These Nazis don't fool around."

Aspen held her head high. "Then so be it. I'm not leaving injured men to be murdered. If they want to kill them, they'll have to go through me first."

"You ever killed a man?"

"No, sir."

"Can you handle a gun?"

"I can. I can fight too. I know how to take care of myself."

"It's your choice, but I'd hate to lose a dame like you."

"You speak as if my fate is already set."

The commander shook his head. "I think all our fates are already set," he said.

"Sir!" a soldier ran up then, and the commander turned to him. "The scouts haven't returned yet, but the Germans are getting closer. I'm afraid the scouts might have been captured or killed. There's no sign of them. It's a large party, bigger than all of us put together. They've got advanced weaponry too. I've never seen anything like it."

"Tell the men to retreat. We're too far into enemy territory. We'll meet up with the 107th Infantry and get backup. No use losing good men in a battle we can't win."

"Yes, sir!"

"If you want to stay, that's your choice. I'm not losing more men to these Germans," he said, turning back to Aspen.

"I understand. I'll stay."

He gave her a scrutinizing look. "I'll leave some men to guard you."

"It's not worth it," Aspen said. "They'll see guards as a threat. I'm just a woman. With any luck they'll ignore me."

"Good luck," he said. "May God watch out for you if he even exists in a place like this."

Aspen went back to the tent with a feeling of dread washing over her. "What's happening?" the other nurses asked.

"Are the Germans coming?"

"We're going to die!"

"They're coming," Aspen told them, "but the regiment is retreating. You're to go with them with the patients who can travel. I'll stay with the ones who can't."

Their eyes widened. "You're staying? You can't. They'll kill you!"

"I can't just leave these men behind. At least three of them can't be moved. It would be condemning them to death."

"But you could die too!"

"Then I die knowing I did everything I could for my patients as an Army nurse," Aspen said.

They stared at her in disbelief. Then the youngest nurse spoke up. "I'm staying too," she said.

"No, Lucy, you need to go with them."

The girl shook her head adamantly. "If you're staying so am I. You can't tend three men by yourself."

"Luc-" She stopped at the look Lucy gave her. "Alright, if you're sure, but you have to understand that the chances of getting captured or killed are pretty high. Maybe they'll leave us alone – I hope, but Nazis aren't know for their sympathy."

"I'm staying too," an older nurse said, stepping forward. "I've lived a long life. No better way to go out than defending my fellow nurses and these soldiers."

No one else spoke up, looking frightened and guilty, but Aspen swelled with pride at the two who had decided to stay. "Thank you," she said. "The rest of you need to get the patients ready to transport."

They nodded and hopped into action. Half an hour later the regiment was ready to move out. Several tents had been kept standing so that the medic tent didn't stand alone. The men gave Aspen and the other two nurses respectful nods as they passed.

"Good luck," many of them murmured.

When they were gone and she was alone with Lucy and Martha and the three unconscious patients, Aspen felt the gravity of what she had chosen to do. She took a deep breath, tucking a loose strand of her red hair behind her ear and took a seat next to one of the patients, pressing a wet cloth to his forehead. "And now we wait," she said softly. Her words were met with silence.

…

The arrival of the German soldiers brought with it shouting and fear. Lucy cowered, eyes wide, and Aspen wished she had sent her with the rest of the regiment. Martha sat calmly, holding her patient's hand and a Bible. She began to mutter a prayer under her breath, and Aspen listened to the words, trying to ignore the stomping boots and guttural German shouts. She thought they would pass by their tent, but she was wrong. Three soldiers stepped into the tent, eyes searching. As soon as they saw the three women and three injured men, they started gesticulating and going on in the language Aspen couldn't understand. Martha didn't even falter in her prayers.

"Get up!" one of the soldiers shouted in English.

"With all due respect, these men are injured, and we are their guardians. We'll stay right here," Aspen said, meeting his eyes. He furrowed his brows in anger.

"You do what I say or I put a bullet in your brain," he said, waving his gun at her.

"And what about these men?" she asked.

"They are already dead."

"They aren't. Just leave us be. We're not doing you any harm."

The man turned to his companion and spoke in rapid German. He turned back to Aspen. "Where are the rest of your American soldiers?"

"Gone."

"Gone where?"

Aspen stayed silent. The soldier reached forward and slapped her hard. Aspen kept her mouth clamped shut even though her cheek stung. Lucy had gasped. The soldier turned his eyes to her then reached out and grabbed her roughly by the front of her apron. "Where are they?" he shouted. Lucy trembled. Aspen was on her feet in a second, shoving the soldier back. He loosened his grip on Lucy in surprise and the girl hurried to the corner of the tent to huddle out of reach.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her!" Aspen shouted. "You're just a bully. If you want a fight, you've got one. Just put the gun down and let's see who can pack a better punch."

The German stared at Aspen for a moment, and she was sure she'd overstepped her boundaries. Then he laughed. The other two soldiers began to chuckle. Aspen stared at them in amazement.

"You've got…how do you say? Spunk. But that is going to be the death of you," he told her. "Get on your knees."

"What are you doing?"

"I said get on your knees." He held his gun to her head. She glared at him but complied. She really didn't want to die she realized in that moment. Her thoughts went to the unfinished article she'd been writing for the _Ticonderoga Sentinel_. No one would ever read it now. Martha was still praying emphatically.

The man holding the gun to Aspen's head said something in German to the other two men. They moved forward, one grabbing Martha's Bible and flinging it across the tent. He roughly shoved her on her knees. She didn't break in her praying. Lucy screamed as the third man grabbed her, forcing her down between Aspen and Martha.

"No one can hear your prayers out here, old woman," the first man said. The gun clicked as he pushed the hammer forward. "See you in the afterlife."

Aspen tried not to cringe. Her heart was beating madly in her chest. This was it. She would never even know if the war was won. She closed her eyes and waited for death.

"Wait!" a voice rang out, startling Aspen. She opened her eyes. A tall, wiry man strode into the tent looking at the three nurses. "What are you doing?" he asked. He didn't sound German, but Aspen couldn't tell where his accent was from. "These women are to be escorted as prisoners to headquarters," he said. "Those are the orders."

The Nazi looked disappointed but withdrew his gun a moment later. The other two followed suit. Aspen felt her heart give a jolt. They weren't going to die just yet. Maybe not at all if she had anything to say about it.

"On your feet. You will follow me."

"What about these men?" Aspen asked. "They'll die if we leave them."

The man's eyes traveled over the wounded soldiers. "Then it will be a much better death than the one that awaits them at headquarters," he said. "Their fate is in God's hands now."

Aspen wanted to fight back, but she knew they wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in her brain if she did. "If I could just stay with the-"

"No," the man said abruptly. "You will come."

Aspen looked over at Lucy and Martha then turned back to the man. "And if we don't?"

He surveyed her. "Then you will die."

"Don't stay, Aspen," Lucy said, her voice shaky and small. "I don't want to see you die."

"I'll stay," Martha said. "My legs won't carry me far. You'd be better off leaving me for dead."

The man looked down at her, and Aspen feared he would shoot her, but he gave a stern nod. "You will stay," he said. "You two come with me."

Aspen got to her feet, taking Lucy's trembling hand. She looked back at Martha as they left the tent. Martha crossed herself, and Aspen saw the fear in her eyes for a moment before she turned away. They were taken to a truck and forced into the back where they were hidden by a thick canopy. They huddled in the far corner against the cab. The three men who had threatened them earlier sat down on the crates that also occupied the back of the truck. They rested their guns on their knees as the truck jolted into motion. Aspen was relieved they hadn't searched them. The hard blade of her knife was a comfort against her ankle as they traveled further away from help. Whatever happened, she was going to get herself and Lucy out of there and back to their regiment.

…

She'd lost track of the hours and the direction they had gone, but suddenly the truck pulled to a stop. She heard the driver speaking in German to someone and then the grating of a gate being opened. She didn't think she'd get an answer if she asked where they were, so she kept her mouth shut. Lucy had drifted off, her head lolling against Aspen's shoulder. She looked so young with her face pale with fear. Aspen swore to protect her whatever happened.

When the truck stopped again, one of the Nazis motioned for them to get out of the truck. Aspen gently woke Lucy who gazed around confusedly. "Where are we?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Just stay with me. We'll be alright. They wouldn't have brought us all this way just to kill us," Aspen said.

"Hurry," one of the men said to her, motioning with his gun for them to jump out of the truck. Aspen took Lucy's hand, and they left the cover of the truck. What Aspen saw outside made her gasp. They were at a castle, large and angular with watchtowers and heavy artillery. Armed soldiers lined the parapets.

"Keep moving."

They were ushered inside and down a gaudy hallway lined with a long rug now coated in dirt from the soldiers' dusty boots. They traveled for what might have been half a mile through the castle all the while getting glimpses of the rooms. Aspen saw several pieces of equipment that looked highly advanced for a remote castle – at least she supposed it was remote. The Germans were occupying Denmark, but there was something ominous about the castle as if secrets were hidden within the stone walls.

Finally they were led into a room at the far end of the castle. It was a large, open room filled with cots. A dozen or so wounded soldiers lay there in varying states of pain. "These men were injured," said the man who had stopped the three soldiers from shooting Aspen and Lucy. "We do not have enough nurses to treat them. You will stay and make yourselves useful. If you try to harm these men in any way, you will be shot. Do you understand?" Both Lucy and Aspen nodded. "Do not look for rescue. No one can penetrate these walls," he told them. He spoke to the guards who nodded, two of them staying by the doors and the other leaving. "Do not leave this room. If you need anything, ask the other nurses."

He left them, and Aspen surveyed the room. Three other women bustled around looking resigned. They did not look up at Aspen and Lucy but rather ignored them as if they weren't really there. Aspen exchanged a look with Lucy and then went over to the large windows on one wall. She could see half of the castle from here as well as the impressive weapons that defended it.

"You, get to work!" one of the guards called out to her.

Aspen sent him a resentful look before going over to the nearest soldier's cot. She noted that his bandages needed changing and went about it. Lucy took the soldier next to her and just like that they began to help the men who had been fighting against their own side only hours before.


	6. Captured

**April 26****th**

Aspen hurried over to the new arrivals. The fighting had been getting closer to the castle and more Nazi soldiers were coming in every day. In the two days they'd been there, Aspen had been able to glean little bits of information from the other nurses. The castle belonged to a baron, but it was unclear whether or not he supported the Nazi cause. There were rumors of strange experiments going on. Aspen summed most of it up to superstition, but there was something not quite right about what was going on here. Aspen had heard screaming her first night there and had treated a man with strange injuries. It looked as if he'd been injected with something, but no one would tell her what and he died soon after he was brought in. The soldiers here carried weapons far more advanced than Aspen had ever seen before. On the third day, Aspen decided she would slip out of the room and see if she could learn more about what was going on there. It was after midnight and the guards had both fallen asleep thanks to a sedative Aspen had slipped into their water source. In fact, all of the nurses had drunk from the same water. Lucy too was passed out. If Aspen got caught they it would be clear that Lucy had no part in her scheme. She decided to change into something that would help her blend in and stole one of the laundered uniforms that had come from one of the injured soldiers. He didn't need it now. She dressed quickly, rolling up the sleeves and pant legs and tightening the belt until she looked halfway presentable. She tugged the grey cap over her hair and low over her eyes and left the room. She felt uncomfortable in the starched uniform with the swastika on the front. Nevertheless, she would have been caught at once without it.

She made her way down the corridor and toward one of the rooms she had passed when she'd first arrived. The room was empty, and she was surprised the door was unlocked. She slipped in and gazed around. The equipment in the room was like nothing she had ever seen before. Radio like objects sat along one wall and cables and wires ran around the room. She saw what appeared to be a log of notes. She scanned over it recognizing the language as Italian. She spoke some French and Spanish and was able to roughly translate a little of what it said. It seemed to speak of electrical experiments based on some doctor's work. The log mentioned a 'reactor room.' Clearly this smaller parlor wasn't where the experiments took place. She set the log down and wondered where the reactor room was. Probably somewhere large where a lot of equipment could be kept. She had never been in a castle before, but she supposed it might have a dining hall or ballroom large enough. She left the room and worked her way toward the bowels of the castle, picking up on a low electrical humming that seemed to lead her on. She passed a few guards, but when she gave them a firm nod they reciprocated. The electrical hum got louder and louder until it seemed to be coming from the other side of the wall. She found a set of doors that were cracked open and slipped in. Several men stood around the large chamber, and she slipped behind a pile of crates before they saw her. Peering around the wood, she gaped at her surroundings.

Huge pieces of equipment stood around the room humming and whirring. What caught her eye, however, was the huge chamber in the center of the room that was currently lit up with electricity. Wiring ran into it and the lights dimmed for a moment as the surge from the machine overwhelmed the electricity. Glass windows held back a blue glow that Aspen shrunk away from. She could feel the power thrumming through the air, invisible yet palpable. One of the men in a white lab coat walked up to a machine and pulled a lever down. The blue light faded and the lights stopped flickering. There was a click and the door to the chamber opened. Aspen couldn't see what was inside as the researchers moved forward, blocking her view. When they finally moved aside, speaking in excited German, Aspen saw what they were speaking about. A suit of armor – she couldn't think how else to describe it – stood inside the chamber. It was huge – at least seven feet tall – and wide like some robot from a Sci-fi thriller. Three blue orbs glowed in the front of the armor. She guessed they were what powered the machine if it did indeed move. There seemed to be room for a person inside the suit. Was this some sort of special weapon the Nazis were working on? The men inside this room did not have the swastika on their clothing but rather a skull with reaching tentacles. She'd seen it several times on some of the soldiers' uniforms, but hadn't thought much of it. Now she wondered just what it meant.

She couldn't worry about that now though. Clearly this armor was meant to be some sort of weapon, and she had a suspicion that it could do a lot of damage. She wondered if she would be able to shut it down. The researchers were taking notes and checking their machinery. She had no idea how long this would go on, but they would need to sleep eventually. Aspen sat down behind the crates and waited. The sedative she'd used on the guards and nurses would last about three hours if they weren't roused. She estimated that at least an hour had passed since she had left the infirmary when the researchers finally began to tuck away their notes for the day. They filed out of the room, chatting excitedly. Then the lights were turned out and only the dim blue glow of the chamber lit up the room. Aspen peered around the crate to check that she was alone. She noted that the chamber had been shut tight again. She slipped out from behind the crates and walked up to the control panel. Growing up in a household of scientists, Aspen knew a thing or two about equipment, but so far everything she'd seen in this castle went above and beyond her understanding. She wished her parents were here. They could shed some light on what all this equipment did and how to shut down the suit.

She studied the panel and found the handle the researcher had used to open the chamber. She pushed it forward and the chamber opened with a resounding clank that echoed around the room. Aspen cursed hoping that no one had heard. When no one came running, she studied the panel again but had no idea what switched off the power. If she could drain whatever power the suit had, perhaps it would delay any attacks they were planning with it. She circled the chamber and saw several valves that connected to large hose-like cables. She tried turning one, but it was heavier than expected. With a grunt, she finally managed to turn it to the right a hair. She kept turning and the blue light began to dim. When the valve would turn no more she found the second one and began to turn that. The light dimmed even lower. Before she could put them out completely, however, an alarm began to sound and a red light flashed above her. Panic overtook her, and she looked for an escape route. The doors would be too obvious. She could already hear voices outside. She looked up and saw a ladder that led to an upper level of the room. She ran for it, vaulting up it on light feet and running along the upper level until she came to the far end away from the chamber. She couldn't see a way out so she looked around for somewhere to hide. She hated tight spaces, but the tiny spot behind one of the pieces of equipment provided the perfect cover for her. She slipped behind it, wedging herself between the metal and the stone wall just as the doors burst open. The blue light grew brighter again, and she realized the men must have turned the power back on. The red light stopped flashing and the alarm fell silent.

"Are you going to keep hiding or are you going to come out?" a voice called. Aspen recognized the scientist who had spared her life. "We can stay here all night if you wish. We will find you eventually."

Aspen's heart was beating fiercely in her chest. She knew they'd find her eventually. It was like a deadly game of hide and seek, but she wasn't willing to be cornered. She took a deep breath and peered around the side of the machinery. The doors were blocked by several guards holding machine guns that glowed with the same eerie blue light as the chamber. She realized that the chamber must hold some sort of power that could be transferred to weapons. The idea that the Nazis held such a power unsettled her.

A brush of cool air startled Aspen and she looked up to see a vent situated behind the equipment. The grating was made of metal but the four screws at each corner could be undone with the proper tool. Aspen looked around for something before her eyes traveled down to the swastika pin on the front of her jacket. She tore it off and inserted the tip into the screws. The screw turned with a little pressure.

She heard the men moving around downstairs and heard someone say "check upstairs." Her heart was roaring in her head, telling her to move faster but her fingers were suddenly made of jelly. The first screw fell loose and, before she had the chance to catch it, it fell to the floor with a clank.

"What was that?"

"It came from up there."

Panicked, Aspen worked on the other screws as quickly as she could, forcing her fingers to become nimble as she heard the sound of heavy boots on the ladder. She was still hidden behind the equipment, but she hardly had room to move. The next two screws fell softly into her hand and she shoved them in the pockets of her jacket before working on the fourth. The footsteps were getting closer, and she could see two soldiers approaching her. She worked faster and finally pulled out the last screw. She pulled at the grate and lifted it from the wall placing it down beside her. They would know where she had gone, but only someone as small as her would be able to fit. She shoved her cap into her pocket, crumpling it so it would fit and heaved herself into the small space.

It was like a nightmare. The four metal walls closed in around her choking her and cutting off fresh air. The air in the ventilation shaft was stale and stank of dirty metal. She began to crawl forward on her knees and elbows. The going was slow and the metal bit into her skin. She knew she was going to be bruised and battered by the time she reached the end wherever that might be, but it was better than being dead. She heard voices behind her and then an echo down the shaft.

"She's here!" The man's words sent her shooting forward as quickly as she could. A bend was up ahead, and she headed for that. A click behind her sent her to her stomach, and she felt the wind from the bullet that breezed by the top of her head. They weren't playing games now. She got up and dragged herself around the corner as another bullet ricocheted off the metal of the shaft. She kept going into growing darkness until it was just a reflex. One knee forward, other elbow forward. Her back and neck ached, and every time she set her knee or elbow down on the metal, it sent an uncomfortable pain through her body. Finally a light began to grow ahead of her, and she worked her way toward that, mind completely set on the light and the prospect of escaping this dank imprisonment. She thought it might be easier to shut out the tightness of the space in the dark when she couldn't see the walls pressing in around her, but that had only made her feel more trapped. She came to the vent at the end of the shaft and looked down into a corridor. She saw no one in sight and sent a silent prayer of thanks up for her luck. Then she realized she had no idea how to get _out_ of the shaft. Determined, she eased herself so that her feet were facing the bars and gave a solid kick. The metal clanked but didn't give. She kept kicking until she could feel the old metal giving under her persistent kicks. Her legs were weak, but determination kept her going until finally the bars gave and the grate fell to the floor. She knew someone would have heard the sound and slipped down out of the grate. She fell a long distance to the floor, crumpling uncomfortably on her already cramped legs. When she stood, they gave way under her, and she reached for the wall to steady herself. She tried to get her bearings but there were no windows, and she was utterly lost. Voices could be heard from a distance somewhere ahead of her so she turned around and ran the other way, shoving the cap back onto her head.

She wound her way through a maze of corridors each lined with candelabras and portraits. Some of the portraits had been defiled with red painted swastikas and the strange skull with tentacles. It was macabre in the dim corridors and it laced fear through her veins. At each turn in the hall, she peered around the corner, hoping to find it empty. So far they had been but this time when she glanced around she saw three men holding machine guns. What she saw behind them filled her with both dread and joy. She'd managed to come full circle back to the infirmary where Lucy waited, possibly still unconscious, for Aspen to return. Aspen wasn't leaving without her. She needed to get into the room, but how was she going to get past those three guards? She remembered the knife she had in her boot and reached down to pull it out. She looked at the walls an idea dawning on her. She'd passed several suits of armor as well as coats of arms on the wall. She backtracked a little and found what she was looking for. The coats of arms were in the shape of shields and made of a heavy metal. Aspen nearly dropped the shield as she pulled it down from the wall. It was heavier than she'd expected, but she held it up, muscles straining in determination. There was a place to hold it on the back as if it really had been used in battle. The weight of it convinced her it was more for decoration though. Even still she clenched her hand around it and braced her legs. Knife and shield in hand, she approached the bend in the corridor again. Taking a deep breath, she turned the corner.

The guards turned to her immediately, speaking to each other in rapid German. She supposed she could have simply walked down the corridor and hoped they thought she belonged there, but by the time she'd gotten to the doors she would have been utterly defenseless if they'd realized she wasn't really a soldier. One took aim, and Aspen crouched with the shield protecting her. Bullets ricocheted off the shield. The other two guards fired. Aspen struggled to keep the shield before her. When the soldiers paused in their firing for a second, she stood and ran forward, shield still ahead of her. They continued firing. She heard one cry out and drop to the floor, and she realized one of the bullets had ricocheted off the shield and straight at him. She angled the metal a little to the left and the soldier took a bullet. Aspen hurled herself at the last solider, striking his gun with the shield and knocking it from his hand. She threw the heavy metal aside and slashed the knife at the man, catching him off guard and cutting the front of his uniform. She didn't slice flesh though, and he blocked her next swipe with a quick defensive gesture. Aspen fought on, slashing at him and ducking away from his blows. His fist hit her once, sending her sprawling backwards. She touched her cheek and could only imagine the bruise blossoming there. It only fueled her determination. She got to her feet and readied herself. The guard made a mistake then. His eyes flitted to the machine gun on the floor, and she knew what he was about to do. As he darted toward the gun, Aspen hurled herself at him, bringing them both down to the ground. She was on top and forced him onto his back before bringing the knife swiftly down.

The man's eyes widened and then went blank. Aspen scrambled to get away from him. She'd never killed a man before. She stared down at her handiwork, her brain growing fuzzy as it tried to comprehend what she had just done. The knife stuck straight out of his heart. She reached forward and pulled it out. It was coated in slick blood that dripped off the tip. She stared at it for a long moment, mesmerized by the scarlet drips. She came to her senses a moment later and wiped the knife clean before shoving it into her pocket and stumbling into the infirmary. She was surprised to find the nurses wide-awake. They scrambled back away from her in fear and she realized there was blood on her hands. She wiped it on her pants and it smeared there as a reminder of what she had done.

Lucy wasn't in the room she realized with a jolt as she looked around. "Lucy? Where is Lucy? The girl I was brought here with!" she shouted. The nurses looked warily at her. "Tell me!"

"They took her," one of the nurses finally spoke up.

"Where?"

She shook her head. "I do not know. They came and woke us. Asked us where you had gone, but we did not know. Then they took her."

Aspen cursed herself. She should never have left the infirmary. It had been stupid. She hadn't accomplished anything besides nearly getting herself killed and now Lucy had been taken. Aspen didn't know what to. She looked around her like a caged animal. Outside the sky was just barely beginning to brighten. She knew she couldn't leave without Lucy. She had made a vow to protect her. But where would she be?

As if in answer a voice sounded over a radio in the wall that Aspen hadn't noticed before. She recognized the scientist's voice. "Attention Hydra agents. We have an escaped prisoner – a young girl with red hair. She is to be taken captive by any means necessary. If you are listening little girl, we have your friend. If you want her to stay alive, meet us in the chamber in ten minutes. If you fail, she will die." His voice crackled and the radio fell silent. Aspen stared up at it. Then she bolted.


	7. Captain America

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much for the favorites and follows and reviews! Your support means a lot to me! I'm posting another chapter tonight because I'm excited about this one. Aspen and Steve are finally reunited, and she's a little surprised to say the least.

So if you haven't seen Cellular with Chris Evans, you need to. It's this amazing thriller/suspense movie that was really good and had its funny moments (like when he holds up a cell phone store at gunpoint to get a charger and then pays for it anyway and apologizes). That makes eleven Chris Evans films I've seen... And yet I need to see more. ALL of them! Hard to believe less than a year ago I'd never even heard of Chris Evans or Captain America... What a sad life I must have lived...

* * *

><p>Even though she had been wandering aimlessly when she had come across the chamber before, her feet seemed to remember the way. Her brain struggled with the idea of going straight back to somewhere she had narrowly escaped before. All that time in the confined space of the vents had been for nothing. If she had just turned herself in before, Lucy might still be safe. Then again, were any of them safe?<p>

Her mind replayed the man's words. Hydra. He had said Hydra agents. She'd only ever heard whispers of such a name before. It was Hitler's covert research branch that the Army had been trying so hard to eliminate. She had found herself right in the middle of one of their research facilities.

The electrical thrumming grew louder as she neared the chamber. She checked to make sure she still had her knife and turned the corner. She found the doors were guarded, but the guards did not move from their posts as she opened the doors and entered. Lucy was there with a gun to her head seated beside two Hydra soldiers and the scientist who had once spared their lives.

"Ah, welcome," he said. She placed his accent as Italian now, foreign next to the deeper German. "I knew you'd come. You come back for your friend, yes?"

"What do you want with us?" Aspen asked. "Why did you spare us if you're just going to kill us?"

"Who said I was going to kill you? We were only trying to scare you out of hiding before," the man told her. "On contrary, you are invaluable to me, _Miss Tolvar_."

"How do you know my name?" Aspen asked, heart pounding.

"Because I have been tracking you. I have this picture you see, when you were just a little girl." He pulled a photograph from his pocket and handed it to her. She took it with trembling fingers. The photograph showed her with her parents. She couldn't have been more than five.

"How did you get this?"

"I used to work with your parents," he said. "A long time ago. My own daughter used to play with you. Hydra approached us with a proposition, but your parents did not think much for their ideals. I on the other hand saw a great advantage to joining Hitler's research team. This was after my daughter died of polio. I vowed never to be powerless to help people again."

"This isn't helping people," Aspen told him.

"It is though. It's for the greater good."

"Not any greater good that I want in my future."

"You Americans and your ideals…" He shook his head. "Unrealistic."

"And this is? Realistic, I mean."

"This is the future. There are brains at work here that cannot be matched. Of course your parents are quite talented at what they do too."

"I haven't heard from my parents in years if that's what you're asking," Aspen said. "They don't keep in contact, and I never followed their work."

"No, but you have their minds," the man said. "You can help me."

"I'm sorry Doctor…"

"Giovanni."

"I can't help you. I'm a journalist, a nurse, not a scientist. I don't know what you're trying to do here, but I don't want to help you. _Can't_ help you."

"You never know until you try. Don't make the mistake of thinking Hydra will give you a third chance. This _is_ your chance."

Aspen frowned. "Let Lucy go, escort her back to the Americans, and I'll stay," she said.

"You have a deal," Doctor Giovanni said, sticking out his hand.

Aspen hesitated. "You won't double cross me?"

"I am a man of my word whatever else I may be," he assured her. She didn't trust him, but she shook his hand.

"Go with them Lucy," Aspen said. "I'll be fine."

Lucy was crying as she reached for Aspen's hands. Aspen squeezed them and watched as the girl was escorted from the room.

"There, that wasn't so hard," Doctor Giovanni said softly. "Now, shall we get started?"

As he spoke the entire castle shuddered. Somewhere at the front of the castle an explosion sent the soldiers shouting. "What's going on?" Doctor Giovanni asked. "Go find out!" Two of the Hydra soldiers ran out of the room. Aspen thought about making a run for it, but she decided it would be best to stay put. Perhaps help was coming?

"Well, this is unexpected, but they will find this castle well-protected. Not even their would-be hero can help them now."

Aspen had no idea what he was talking about, but nodded hoping he was wrong. They waited anxiously, and Aspen wondered just what it was he wanted from her. It was true that she had always excelled in science. She'd been the top in her chemistry class, but her parents had practically abandoned her to progress in their work. She didn't want to go down the same path, and she felt no allegiance to her parents.

The castle shook again, and Aspen heard guns going off. Doctor Giovanni left her side, scrambling with some papers and shoving them into a briefcase before turning to the control panel and opening the energy chamber. He spoke to one of the guards in German and handed him the briefcase. Aspen thought she heard a name; Baron Zemo, whoever that was. The guard left the room with a salute. Doctor Giovanni turned back to the energy-powered armor.

"Now comes the time I test my work," he said. "Sometimes it takes the creator to test his creation." He pressed several buttons on the control panel and the front of the suit opened up. Aspen could see that there was room inside for a man. As she watched, Doctor Giovanni fit himself into the suit and pressed a button on the inside. The suit closed up around him, and Aspen shuddered. How trapped she would feel inside that metal suit. The cords running to the armor detached and the metal creature took its first steps forward. It was clumsy at first while Doctor Giovanni got the hang of controlling it. He'd barely gotten four steps in when the doors to the lab exploded. Aspen turned to see something circular being flung. It knocked two guards down and was headed straight at her head. She fell to the floor, feeling the force of it whip over her. It bounced off the metal machine's chest and straight back to the thrower. She peered up through the smoke to see a man in a red, white, and blue uniform standing in the doorway. He held a circular shield also painted red and blue with the natural silver of the metal. He also wore a helmet with an A on the front. He looked down at her, dislike burning behind blue eyes. Aspen realized she was still dressed like a Nazi. Her cap hid her red hair.

"I see we are honored to host the illustrious Captain America in our humble castle," Doctor Giovanni's voice came from the metal contraption.

Aspen frowned at the name. She'd heard some of the female nurses giggling about such a person, but she paid little attention to their chatter. She'd heard close to nothing from home since she'd joined the war efforts.

"This operation is being shut down," the man – Captain America – said. His voice sounded so familiar that Aspen forgot the situation altogether and strained her mind to place it.

"You've got a lot of confidence if you think you can take on Hydra alone."

"Not alone," the Captain replied. "My men are taking the castle as we speak. We've already shut down four of your flak cannons."

"You really think that will stop us. How does the saying go? Cut off one head, two more replace it."

"I guess we'll find out."

Before Aspen could even think to move, the doctor lifted one of the robots arms and fired a shot of blue light at the Captain. He rolled out of the way in one swift motion and the blue light left a smoking hole in the wall. Aspen scrambled to her feet and backed away as the robot moved forward. The Captain threw his shield, but it bounced harmlessly off of the metal chest. He caught it on the rebound, leaping out of the way as another blue blast destroyed a section of the wall. Aspen crouched behind some of the machinery as she watched the two fight. Doctor Giovanni was still getting the hang of using the machine and was slow to react when Captain America ran at him, vaulting up above the machine's head and bringing his shield down right on the weak spot at the back of the neck. Sparks sprayed outward as something was disconnected and the lights in the eyes flickered out. Aspen wondered if he had blinded the machine. Doctor Giovanni must have done something inside the machine to retaliate because the next moment machine guns replaced the blue guns on the arms, and he started to fire, turning in a circle so that both the Captain and Aspen had to crouch down to avoid the bullets. He kept firing until half the room was either destroyed or on fire. One of the tanks next to the Captain exploded, sending him flying across the room toward Aspen. The robot lowered the guns, and Aspen had to flatten herself to avoid being hit.

When he realized he was doing no good – Aspen was sure by now the doctor could no longer see out of the machine – the machine stopped firing. "Are we going to play or are you going to hide?" Doctor Giovanni's voice came from the machine. "You cannot destroy my machine. It is powered by something you will never be able to understand." He shot at random, and Aspen had to hurl herself out of the way as the machine she had been crouching behind exploded. She landed squarely on something, tumbling to the floor. When she looked down she realized she'd been sent straight into the Captain. She scrambled to get off of him, but he grabbed her wrists, blue eyes narrowed. She realized again that she hadn't taken off her cap.

"Wait!" she said as his grip tightened on her wrists.

"For you to kill me?" he asked, his voice more of a growl.

"I'm not a Nazi!" she said.

"You're American." His eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Yes! I'm a nurse. I just disguised myself to escape. I was taken captive," she said. His grip on her wrists loosened.

"Where are you?" Doctor Giovanni's voice sounded across the room. He fired again, and Aspen instinctually ducked. She realized a moment later that she had buried her head in the Captain's shoulder and sat up. He let go of her, and she settled on the floor next to him. He looked over at her.

"You look familiar," he said. "Have we met before?"

"I've never met Captain America," she said with a small smile. "To be honest, I'm not really sure who you are."

"That's actually a relief," he said with a smile to match hers. "Really I'm just a guy from Brooklyn."

"Brooklyn. I knew a guy from Brooklyn. He had big dreams."

"Oh yeah?"

"I'm not sure what ever happened to him. He inspired me to join the Army as a nurse."

"How did you come to be here?" he asked her.

"I stayed behind with my charges when my regiment retreated. Hydra captured me and another nurse." She hoped Lucy was okay. "We ended up here. I tried to escape, but that only put me right back where I started."

"Any idea how to stop that machine?" he asked.

"It runs on that same blue power that its guns fire. I'm not sure what it is."

"Yeah, I've seen weapons like that."

"I don't know how to stop it, but I know that the man controlling it isn't very good at it. If we can trip him up, put him out of commission, we might be able to stop him temporarily." The doctor fired the machine's guns again, this time closer. "I can distract him," Aspen said. "While you attack from behind."

"Are you sure? It will be dangerous."

Aspen nodded. "I'm sure. I didn't come all this way to sit on the sidelines." She gave him a smile before jumping out into the middle of the room. "You're not doing so well in that suit," she shouted. Doctor Giovanni turned it clumsily, and she stayed out of the line of fire. The Captain edged his way silently around the room until he was behind the metal man. Aspen dodged to the side to avoid the blue energy. She called out again. "That's the problem with trying to make a machine do the work for you. It can't think. It can't see," she added as he blasted some crates a few feet away from her. Captain America was right behind the machine now. He climbed silently onto a stack of crates and raised his shield. He flung it at an angle so that it bounced off of both legs right behind the 'knees' of the machine and back into his grip. The machine wobbled forward, almost falling. Then it seemed to collect itself as the Doctor made it rise again. As the machine began to turn, the Captain flipped over its head and brought the shield down on the arm with the gun. The shield was strong enough to render the gun useless, but Aspen saw Doctor Giovanni raise the left arm.

"Watch out!"

The doctor swung the arm at the Captain with speed Aspen hadn't thought possible. It hit him on the side of the head, sending him across the room. The headpiece of the suit opened, and Doctor Giovanni's cold eyes peered out. He took a step forward with the machine and set the heavy metal foot down on the shield.

"Not this time. You think you can hide behind your shield and pretend you are a hero, but we both know you don't stand a chance against Hydra's technology."

Aspen stood still, watching Doctor Giovanni as he sneered at the fallen Captain. Her eyes flitted to the Captain's bright blue eyes, and she saw the smallest bit of hesitation as if he really wasn't entirely sure what he was doing. He was only human after all. His eyes met hers and the wave of familiarly washed over her once more.

"If this is all America has to send then the Allies really don't stand a chance," Doctor Giovanni continued. His eyes were set on the Captain as if he really didn't consider Aspen a threat. Her eyes drifted to the machine coming to rest on a small compartment on the back. A screw held it in place and a small meter next to it measured the remaining energy. She realized this must be where the power lay. If she cut that off then the machine would be rendered useless. She pulled the knife out and circled behind the machine. Doctor Giovanni didn't even notice. The Captain carefully kept his eyes on the Doctor and not on Aspen as she moved to stand behind him. Aspen wasn't at all sure if the knife was going to penetrate the metal. She looked down at the blade and her thin wrist. She realized that wasn't going to work. She eyed the screw and then the tip of the knife. Doctor Giovanni wouldn't be able to feel her unscrewing his suit. The armor had a lot of blind spots, and his attention was entirely on the Captain. She took a deep breath and stuck the tip of the knife in the screw.

It turned easily after she put some muscle into it and soon she had it out. The panel eased open under her fingers. Wires ran this way and that, and Aspen decided to slash them all. She held her knife up and then brought it down across the wires. As soon as they tore, the machine began to power down, losing the ability to move and be controlled.

Doctor Giovanni swore in Italian, trying to turn the machine to see what was happening. Aspen slashed another set of wires, and the machine was dead. She stepped carefully around so that Doctor Giovanni could see her.

"Never underestimate your enemies," she said, gripping the knife. The Captain got up behind her. She could feel him looking at her, but she kept her eyes on the Doctor.

"You little brat."

"I won't work for you," Aspen said.

"Not even to save your parents?" he asked.

Aspen's heart skipped a beat. "Who said they need saving?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.

Doctor Giovanni's lips twisted up in a smile, but he said nothing. Aspen glared at him, but decided he wasn't worth her time. She turned around to face the Captain. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he said. "Quick thinking." He turned to the Doctor. "I believe you have something of mine." He thrust a hand out and sent the machine flying backwards onto the floor, freeing the shield. Aspen stared. The machine had to weigh a ton yet he had pushed it over like a bowling pin. He grabbed his shield and thrust his left arm through the straps on the back. "Let's get out of here," he said. "I need to disable the other flak cannons so that we can launch an aerial attack. You need to get to safety."

Aspen nodded and followed him out of the room, leaving Doctor Giovanni trapped in his own invention. She followed him down the winding corridors until they came to a set of diverging halls.

"That way leads out. There will be a group of Allies who can get you to safety," the Captain told her.

"What about you?" Aspen asked.

"I'm going to find the other cannons and disable them," he said.

"Thank you for saving me."

"You saved me too, so I guess that makes us even," he said with a smile. "I didn't catch your name, ma'am."

"Aspen," she said and pulled off her cap so that her red hair fell around her shoulders. "My name is Aspen."

The Captain stared at her in what she might have thought to be disbelief. She shuffled her feet, uncomfortable under his scrutiny. "Aspen?" His voice was achingly familiar as he said her name.

"Yes." She frowned, trying to place his voice. Then he unbuckled his helmet and pulled it off. Her lips parted in surprise as she finally recognized him. "Steve?"

Standing before her, at least in facial features and hair and eyes was Steve Rogers the skimpy boy from Brooklyn who she had met at the art school. She stared at him, disbelieving.

"Yeah," he said softly. "It's me."


	8. Baron Zemo

Aspen was staring at Steve in disbelief, her eyes roving over his broad shoulders and chest. Her cheeks warmed, and she met his eyes again. "But how…?"

"A few things have changed," he said with a nervous chuckle. "I was chosen to be the first in a new experiment. They injected me with a Super Soldier Serum. It…changed me. Made me stronger." He shrugged self-consciously. He was used to his body by now, but he could see how much of a shock it was to Aspen. He was feeling shocked at seeing her too. He'd never expected to see her here of all places so far from home and in the middle of this war.

"That's…incredible. Wow." She looked a little dazed. "It's really good to see you," she said in a rush.

"It's good to see you too." He smiled for the first time in awhile. He'd never expected to find anything good in this Hydra base, but he had been wrong.

"Who would think we would meet here of all places?" she echoed is thoughts.

"What are you doing here anyway?" he asked. His eyes fell to the Nazi uniform she wore. He'd been so close to hurting her earlier not realizing who she was.

"I'm a nurse," she replied. "At least I was until I was captured. I refused to leave my patients behind, but it was either come with the Germans or be shot right there along with my fellow nurses. I _was_ trying to escape, but they captured my friend and used her as bait. I hope she's alright. You didn't see a young girl fleeing the castle, did you?"

Steve shook his head regretfully. "Sorry." The sound of gunfire overhead made them both start. "I should get going," he said, but he hesitated, not wanting to leave her behind.

"I'm coming with you," Aspen said.

"No, it's too dangerous. You get out while you can," he told her, shoving his helmet back on his head.

"But Steve-" she protested

"Please. I don't want to see you get hurt. This is no place for a dame – _girl _– like you." He didn't want to see her get hurt. It was still so odd seeing her here when he kept picturing her with a camera bag slung over her shoulder or sitting on the steps outside the school with him that Christmas Eve he'd been rejected for the Army. He'd never properly thanked her for that.

"I can take care of myself. Sounds like you could use an extra hand," she said as more gun firing sounded overhead. A shout came from behind them, and they turned to see a group of Nazis running toward them and effectively cutting off Aspen's exit.

"I guess you'll have to," Steve said, gently taking her arm and forcing her down the hall in the opposite direction of the Nazis. Aspen got her footing and ran alongside him, glancing sideways at him still in disbelief. The sound of gunfire behind them snapped her back into the present, and she quickened her pace to keep up with him. He led her through a twisting maze of hallways, hoping that they were going in the right direction. The sound of a cannon firing alerted him that they had reached their destination.

"We have to hurry," he said. " Bucky and the others are dealing with the other cannons."

"Bucky?"

"Yeah," Steve flashed her a smile. "He's here too."

They rounded a corner and found themselves facing a set of doors that led out onto the castle parapet. Steve shoved the doors open, and they found themselves surrounded by Hydra soldiers. Their guns, far more advanced than the typical Nazi weapons, were aimed straight at them. The cannon stood behind them, firing automatically into the night. Steve saw the brief outline of a plane far off in the light of the cannon fire. The Allies were anxiously waiting to approach the castle.

"Get behind me," Steve told Aspen. She didn't argue. One of the Hydra soldiers shouted a command and they began to fire just as Steve crouched down, shield held out. Aspen crouched behind him, laying her head against the back of his suit. One of the soldiers screamed as a bullet ricocheted off the shield and struck him in the chest. Bullets seemed to be everywhere, but the shield kept them from striking him and Aspen. Then suddenly he heard one hit the cannon. It seemed to have a damaging effect, striking something in the wiring because the next moment it exploded. Steve wrapped his arm around Aspen's waist and lunged out of the way as bits of the cannon flew at them. The fiery blast sent them flying into the corridor, but the shield protected them from the worst of the blaze. They landed hard on the floor, Aspen landing on Steve's chest for a second time. He could feel her heart frantically beating against his. They lay like that for a minute, breathing hard, and then Aspen rolled off of him. They got to their feet, and Steve reached out a hand to help her. His uniform was ripped in the sleeve and her clothes were singed and ripped in places.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yeah, you?"

He nodded. "The cannon is destroyed. I need to make sure the others are alright. There should be one more cannon that we need to take out too."

"I'll help."

Steve gave her a smile. "You're still just as spunky as you were before," he said.

"I wasn't going to sit at home and twiddle my thumbs," she told him.

"Me neither."

"Now look at you. Saving the world."

He flushed, embarrassed by her praise. "Not just me," he said. "There are a lot of good men out there fighting."

"Everyone needs a symbol of hope," Aspen told him. "Now let's go destroy that last cannon."

In the end they followed the sound of it firing into the night to warn off the Ally planes. This one wasn't guarded, and they disabled it quickly. "We need to find Bucky and the others," Steve told her. "We're meeting at the main entrance after we disable all the cannons. Once we're sure they're down, we'll radio in to the planes."

Steve's enhanced memory served him well and he led them toward the entrance hall of the castle. Aspen followed along doggedly, eyes darting around cautiously. They passed several more Hydra soldiers whom Steve took down with ease. Aspen kept glancing at him as if she still couldn't believe his transformation. He didn't blame her. Bucky had been just as surprised when he'd first seen the new Steve. He hoped that she realized he was still the same man she'd met in New York all those years ago. She'd always noticed him despite how small he had been, always believed in him. He hoped he had the chance to tell her how much that had meant to him one day.

…

Five men paced the hall when they reached the front entrance of the castle. "What's the status?" Steve asked. Aspen hung back feeling suddenly shy. This was beyond anything she'd been trained for, but these men seemed prepared to take down the Hydra base.

A man wearing a bowler hat and an impressive mustache answered. "All the cannons are down."

"Good. Radio in. Where's Bucky?"

"I thought he was with you. After we destroyed the cannon, he said he was going to find you."

"I'll find him. We need to get any prisoners out and blow the labs."

"You got it," the mustached man said, pulling out a wireless radio.

"Dernier, that's your specialty."

"Oui."

"Take Falsworth with you. Head down the west part of the castle. Morita and Jones, take some explosives and take the east side of the castle. Dugan, wait for reinforcements to arrive and take the south side of the castle. I'll find Bucky."

The men nodded, taking their orders without question. A couple glanced curiously at Aspen, and she felt self-conscious about her borrowed uniform. At least she'd torn the swastika pin off. "If you want to leave, you can," Steve told her. "The outside of the castle has been secured. You'll be safe with the troops there."

"I'm not leaving you," she told him. "I'm not running off to let you fight without me."

Steve furrowed his brow. "It will be dangerous."

"Yeah. I know. I don't see the problem." She started past him. "Are you coming?"

He watched her for a moment before shaking his head. He gave her a small smile. "You're good at giving orders," he said following after her.

"Well I wasn't born to sit behind a desk and take them," she replied with a sly smile.

…

Everything she had seen in Steve Rogers before was just as present now. The same bravery she had seen in his eyes before was still there, that same stubborn set to his mouth. To think how far he had gone to join the war – what a risk it must have been to take that serum. She knew from her parents' own work that serums that changed the DNA structure were extremely dangerous and difficult to perfect. It was part of the reason she hadn't gone into science like her parents. Too many lives were at risk, and it was easy to go from seeing a patient as a human being to seeing them as a test subject.

Steve led them down a series of corridors until they came to set of doors hanging on their hinges. Beyond was a parapet and a destroyed bit of machinery that Aspen realized must have been a cannon. Aspen stepped out into the night, letting the cool air soak into her skin. She hadn't been outside since the day she'd arrived. She realized just how badly she wanted to be rid of this castle.

"We need to retrace his footsteps," Steve said, looking around.

"How?"

"He came looking for me when I took too long."

"Lost something?" a voice made them both start. They turned to see a tall man standing against the wall. A purple veil hid his face from sight, and though Aspen strained her eyes, she could not see his facial features.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I am the owner of this castle. Baron Zemo." He gave them a polite bow of his head, but Aspen didn't trust him for a minute.

"Do you work for Hydra?" Steve asked. He stood tensely as if ready for a fight.

"I do not work for anyone," Zemo replied, taking a step forward. Aspen and Steve reflexively took a step back.

"Then are you an enemy or an ally?" Steve asked.

"I know where you will find your friend," Zemo said, trailing a finger over a portrait on the wall.

"That doesn't answer my question. Why should we trust you anyway?" Steve narrowed his eyes.

"I have nothing to gain by lying to you. You will find your friend in the lowest reaches of the castle."

Steve stood still for a moment as if trying to decide whether or not he should believe Zemo. Aspen didn't trust a man whose eyes she couldn't see. Something didn't feel right.

"Take the corridor to your right until you come to an elevator. It will take you down to the very bottom." Zemo turned to leave them.

"Wait. How do you know about my friend?" Steve asked.

"I know everything that goes on in this castle," Zemo said before disappearing down the hall.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Aspen asked.

"I don't know," Steve replied. "But we have to check. If Bucky is down there we need to get him out before we blow the place."

"Of course we do. Let's go." Aspen led the way down the hall until they found themselves facing a large metal cage that was the elevator.

"You don't have to come. You should go find the others," Steve told her. "Get yourself to safety."

"And leave you to handle this on your own?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"I can handle it," he said.

"I believe you." She stepped into the elevator. "But you don't have to handle it alone."

Steve studied her for a moment but seemed to realize that arguing was useless. Instead he got wordlessly into the cage and pressed the lever down to the word "basement." The elevator lurched into motion, and Aspen tipped into Steve. She caught herself and pushed away from him with warm cheeks and muttered apologies. One thing was for certain – he was no longer the scrawny boy she'd seen in Goldie's Boxing Gym. As the elevator slowly lurched downward, Aspen got the crazy need to say something. They were going into unknown danger after all. Now that she'd found him again after all that time and in the most unexpected place, she wanted to tell him how much she admired him. How proud she was of the little boy who wanted to fight for his country so badly he was willing to risk his life to become what he was now. She had seen that in him from the start, that spark of determination. She wasn't even sure he realized it. She thought back to the day she'd nearly run into him in the art school. The cut on his lip. Suddenly she wanted to know where he'd gotten that.

"Back when you were taking art classes at the school," she started abruptly. Steve turned at her, eyes narrowed in confusion. "You came in one day with a cut lip. I meant to ask you about it, but I never go the chance. I know it's silly now… I just…I don't know. Never mind." She shut her mouth, looking at her feet.

Steve was silent for a long minute. "There was a jerk who cut in front of a lady in line for a newsstand. I said something to him, and he punched me."

Aspen winced. "What did you do after that?"

"Nothing. A cop saw and hauled the guy off. I got lucky."

"That was brave of you."

"Just doing my duty."

"Like now?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, gazing at her curiously.

"I just mean what you did, well, it was so-"

Her words were cut off as the lift shuddered to a stop. "We're here," Steve said. Aspen gulped and turned to face the elevator doors as they slid open.


	9. Madame Hydra

**Author's Note:** My best friend and I just got back from Hastings...we now own more Chris Evans films. We have a problem. Please send help.

* * *

><p>The elevator had taken them into a dim basement lit with standing spotlights that cast wide arcs of light over the stone walls. As they moved forward, they found a set of doors. Steve looked down at Aspen. "Ready?" he asked.<p>

She appreciated that he didn't ask her if she wanted to turn back. She gave him a firm nod, pushing back her doubts, and he pushed the doors open. They walked into what could only be described as a cavern. It was illuminated brightly, and Aspen saw the figure sitting tied to a chair in the center of the room at once. There was no mistaking the dark hair, now matted with blood. He seemed to be unconscious, his head having fallen forward on his chest. Steve tensed beside her.

"Buck," he said before crossing the cavern in four great strides.

"Wait!" Aspen called out, but it was too late. As soon as Steve reached Bucky, a sort of electrical force field jumped up around the perimeter. She leapt back to avoid the wall. Steve looked around, surprise written clearly across his face. Across from where Aspen stood, a woman entered the ring. She had long black hair worn loose and covering half her face and wore a tight black suit. In her hands she carried two daggers that glinted wickedly. Her face was masked, but Aspen saw acid green eyes glinting from the eyeholes. Steve crouched next to Bucky, checking to see that he was alright before standing to face the newcomer.

"Well, well, we seem to have caught a rat scurrying to the cheese," she said in a German accent.

"Let him go."

"It's not him we want," she told him, circling around him like a predator. She ignored Aspen entirely. "It's you my master is interested in."

"Red Skull?"

She laughed a harsh, biting laugh. "Herr Skull is not the only one interested in you. Doctor Erskine's work has interested more than one party."

"What do you want from me?"

"Just a little blood," she purred. "But I might just spill it all."

"I'm not giving you my blood so that you can make more people like Red Skull."

"You think yourself better than everyone else? The only Super Soldier?"

"I don't think I'm better than anyone," Steve said. "I'm just here to get my friend."

"Well then you will have to first get past me," she said. She moved faster than Aspen could follow, flipping through the air straight over Steve's head and slashing out her knives. Steve barely managed to duck, and the knives met with air. The woman growled as she landed and spun around, knives twirling. Steve stumbled back, not prepared for the onslaught. It only took him a moment to collect himself though. He brought his shield up to block the knives and swung out at her. She flipped back away from him, taking up a fighting stance. Her painted lips were turned up in a smirk, and Aspen could tell she was enjoying herself. She attacked Steve again, slashing out ferociously. She was quick on her feet and nimble enough to avoid his retaliation. At one point, Aspen saw her knife nick Steve's shoulder. He cried out in pain even though it was a shallow wound. Aspen took a step forward, but the electrical barrier stopped her. She growled in frustration.

"I suspect that stings a bit. My knives have a certain bite to them. In a few seconds your vision will be getting blurry. After a minutes you will start to slow down. The poison won't kill you, but I can do that."

Aspen watched in horror as Steve staggered. He retaliated quickly though, and she could see the determination on his face. She could also see that the poison was taking quick effect. She had to do something. She looked around her and then up. There was a system of vents above her that ran across the room. She looked around and saw a metal ladder that led up to one of the beams. She bolted for it, climbing up as quickly as she could. The woman was intent on Steve and didn't see her. Aspen pulled herself onto one of the beams and began to crawl across on her knees. When she was positioned above the inside of the electrical ring, she looked down. The distance gave her instant vertigo. She realized right away that the drop would kill her, but she had to do something. She crawled across one of the crosswise beams, positioning herself above Steve and the German assassin. Steve was fighting on valiantly, but he was slowing fast. The woman didn't cut him again, merely jumped out of reach. In a moment Steve fell to his knees and the woman stood over him. Aspen adjusted herself on the beam so that she was directly above the woman. This was a crazy idea and it would probably kill her, but the woman was going to kill Steve if she didn't do something. She took a deep breath and, as the woman raised both knives toward Steve, she jumped.

For such a distance, the fall didn't take long. She felt a rush of wind and felt her stomach drop and then she hit the woman hard. She knocked her to the ground and there was a sickening crunch as the woman's head hit the hard stone. Aspen felt pain surge through her body though the woman had cushioned her fall. Stars pricked in front of her vision, and she felt herself falling under. The last thing she remembered was Steve saying her name, and then the darkness claimed her.

…

Steve blinked in surprise at the scene before him. His vision had blurred, but he could see that the woman was bleeding from the skull. Aspen lay unconscious on top of her. At least he hoped she was only unconscious. He leaned forward and pressed his fingers to her neck searching for a pulse. It was faint, but he found it. The woman was very clearly dead. Aspen had saved his life, risking her own in the process.

Steve shook his head to keep himself from falling under the poison's influence. He turned to Bucky and quickly untied his bonds. Bucky moaned, coming to. "Steve?" he asked, blinking wearily at his friend. "What happened? One minute I was looking for you, the next…I don't really remember."

"You're safe now," Steve told him. "We're going to have to act fast though. I got nicked with a poisonous knife. It's not going to kill me, but I can't stay conscious for much longer. The Howling Commandos are set to take this place down." He looked down at Aspen.

"Is that…? That's not Aspen. The photographer dame from home?" Bucky asked in astonishment.

"She's a nurse. She was captured and brought here," Steve explained wearily.

Bucky whistled. "Small world." He stood up shakily and then looked around. "What on earth did I miss?"

Steve looked around the electrical wall. There had to be a way to turn it off. His eyes alighted on a valve across from them. He couldn't reach it, but his shield could. Using reserve strength he flung his shield toward the valve. It hit it hard and the electrical wall flickered and vanished leaving them alone in the empty cavern. Steve pulled Aspen into his arms. "Come on," he told Bucky. He stumbled a little, but forced himself to keep going.

"Want me to carry her?" Bucky asked.

"I'm alright," Steve said.

They took the lift up. Steve's vision was blurring badly now and his arm felt as if it was on fire. Aspen was still unconscious, and he hoped she hadn't broken anything taking that fall. He relied on Bucky to lead the way, stumbling every now and again. Bucky didn't quite have his memory, and they ended up in a large room Steve hadn't seen before. Machinery lined the walls and a great vat sat in the middle of the room filled with a sickly smelling liquid.

"What is this place?" Bucky asked.

"The future." A familiar voice spoke from the shadows and Zemo stepped forward, purple veil still shielding his face.

"Is this your work?" Steve asked. Everything was swimming now, and he shook his head trying to clear it.

"It is. I'm afraid I can't have you destroying it."

"So you are working for Hydra."

"As I said before, I do not work _for_ anyone. I may permit them to use my castle, but that does not mean I help them with their work."

"Then what is this?" Bucky asked, motioning to the vat of liquid.

"It is something I have been working on for a long time. Something that will change the future." He strode forward to the side of the vat. Steve noticed that he had a sword sheathed at his side. He tightened his grip on his shield.

"We need to get out of here," Bucky said quietly to Steve. "This guy is just stalling."

"We're leaving," Steve said. "I suggest you leave the castle," he said to Zemo. "If you aren't working for Hydra then we have no quarrel with you."

"No quarrel with me? Perhaps not, but I'm afraid I cannot let Captain America leave this castle. It may be an uneasy alliance, but I will not disappoint Red Skull. He would not look kindly on me if I let you just walk away."

"We don't have time for this," Bucky told him. "Either get out of our way or we'll make you."

"Will you now? Your Captain weakens, and you do not have the skill to best me. Tell me, Captain, how did you overcome Madame Hydra?" He turned his eyes to Steve.

"You knew she'd be down there." Somehow it didn't surprise him. The whole thing had been a trap. "I didn't overcome her. She did." Zemo's eyes traveled down to the unconscious Aspen.

"Interesting. I did not consider her a threat."

"Your mistake. We're leaving now." He turned toward the door just as Zemo unsheathed his sword. Steve turned and blocked just as the sword came down. It rang as it made contact with his shield.

"Bucky, take Aspen and get out," he told his friend. "Give me five minutes and then start setting off the bombs." He handed Aspen over.

"I'm not making that call if you're still in here," he told Steve.

"You might not have a choice," Steve told him.

"You can't fight. The poison is weakening you," Bucky argued.

"Just go! Make sure she's safe."

Bucky glared at him for a moment more and then turned, running from the room with Aspen grasped in his arms. Steve had a feeling he would be back once Aspen was safe. He turned to face Zemo who paced the room like a cat watching his prey. Steve was nearly seeing double and the pain in his arm was excruciating, but he didn't show any sign of this. Zemo brought up his sword, and Steve blocked it again. Zemo was fast to retaliate, and Steve stumbled, barely managing to avoid the sharp blade. Zemo chuckled, and Steve knew there was no hiding his weakness. The next time Zemo brought his sword down, Steve misjudged the distance, holding his shield too far to the right. A searing pain cut through his already injured arm. Blood soaked through the sleeve of his uniform. The pain sharpened his vision though, and he managed to block Zemo the next time he struck. He knew he didn't have long though. He needed to end this now or he wasn't going to make it out of the castle. As Zemo prepared himself to strike at Steve again, Steve charged him, sending him flying backwards from the force of the shield. Zemo fell against the vat and his arms went out in a sort of windmill motion for a moment before he fell backwards into the vat.

He screamed the second he touched the liquid and steam rose from his body as if it was searing his skin. He flailed around a minute before grasping the edge of the vat and heaving himself over. He'd lost his sword and lay curled up on the floor in pain.

"Steve!" Bucky had returned and ran up to Steve's side, sparing Zemo a glance. "We need to get out of here. Come on!" Steve glanced down at Zemo, but Bucky was persistently pulling on his arm. "Leave him."

Steve stumbled and fell to his knees as he tried to leave the room. Bucky hoisted him up, pulling Steve's arm around his shoulder. Steve leaned gratefully on him as his vision began to get spotty and the pain in his arm harder to bear.

"Thanks Buck," he managed to say.

"Thank me later when we're out of this mess," Bucky told him. Then they were clear of the castle, and Dugan was helping him too. The explosions rocked the ground beneath them, and Steve completely lost his vision as the poison fully set in. He felt Bucky and Dugan help hoist him into a truck.

"Aspen?" he asked weakly.

"Right here," Bucky assured him. It was the last thing Steve heard before he passed out.


	10. The Way of the Heart

-3-

**April 27****th****, 1944 107****th**** Infantry Camp**

At first Aspen thought she was back with her regiment when she heard the voices around her, the bustle of a military camp. But then she realized she was on a medical cot and someone was tending to her wounds. She opened her eyes a slit and saw a young girl busying herself next to her.

"Lucy?" she asked, her voice creaking.

The girl turned around, beaming. There was a cut above her eye and a bruise on her cheek, but other than that she was unharmed. "Aspen, I'm so glad you're okay. You had us all really worried. I had to finally tell your friend to get some sleep. He was by your bed the whole night, but he was exhausted."

"My friend? Is he okay? The poison…"

"He's fine. He's a fighter. His friend is fine too. You were all in rough shape when you were brought in, but you'll all pull through."

"I'm so glad you're safe, Lucy. I'm sorry all that happened."

"You saved me. You have nothing to feel sorry for." Lucy beamed at her. "Although you do owe me the story of how you met Captain America."

Aspen laughed. "First I need a drink of water."

"Of course." As Lucy went to fill a cup, Aspen looked down at herself, at all the cuts and bruises. She was lucky that was all she had. Lucy handed her the cup, and she gratefully downed the cool water. "I wasn't sure I was going to make it back there," she said.

"You're bruised up to be sure, but the damage isn't too bad at all. Considering all you've been through. You were so brave."

Aspen looked into her empty cup, embarrassed. "Just doing my duty," she said before realizing she was repeating Steve's words.

"So how did you end up saving Captain America?" Lucy asked, pulling up a canvas chair to sit next to Aspen's bed.

"Oh, well, I knew him before the war, you see," Aspen told her. "Back when he was just Steve Rogers from Brooklyn. Before the Serum."

"I heard they wouldn't let him join the Army because he was too weak."

"He wasn't weak," Aspen said. "Just…well, they didn't value the strengths he had. But he's always been brave. We met at the art school he attended. I told you I used to teach photography classes?" Lucy nodded. "And later I interviewed him for the paper I write for. We just sort of kept bumping into each other. He's part of the reason I joined the war as a nurse. His bravery and determination to join the war inspired me. It made me realize I couldn't just sit around at home and write about the war. Not when I really had no idea what was going on out there, out here."

"So when you met again in the castle – you had no idea he'd undergone the Serum?" Lucy asked.

Aspen shook her head. "It came as a surprise to me," she said. "I couldn't believe it was the same man but for that determination in his eyes, that same spark that inspired me so much."

"He's pretty incredible," Lucy said. "I saw one of his pictures before I became a nurse."

"Pictures?"

"You know, films."

Aspen lifted a brow. "Are we talking about the same person?"

"He sold bonds before he joined the war efforts," Lucy told her. "And was in some pictures. It was all about promoting the bonds, making an American image. It definitely worked, but he proved that he wasn't just a symbol. He's a real hero."

Aspen smiled at that. "He is," she said softly.

"But so are you. You saved him after all. He told me what happened in the castle. You're a hero too, Aspen."

Aspen looked up in surprise. "I'm no hero," she said. "I just couldn't let him die."

Lucy gave her a knowing look and said, "I'll go let him know you're awake."

…

Aspen hadn't realized she'd drifted off until she heard quiet voices. "She'll be happy to see you." That was Lucy.

"She should sleep." That was Steve, and Aspen opened her eyes at the sound of his voice.

"No," she said. Their eyes turned to her. "Please stay," she added. "I'm well enough." She sat up and pulled her knees up to her chest. Steve took the seat Lucy had been sitting in earlier. Lucy disappeared, leaving the two of them alone.

"I'm really glad you're alright," he said to her after a few moments of silence. "When I saw you jump…I thought you were dead."

"It was a rather stupid idea," Aspen said. "Is she dead?"

"The Hydra woman?" Aspen nodded. "Yeah, she struck her head pretty hard. She's the only reason you're alive though. That drop would have killed you."

"I know."

"But you jumped anyway. Why?" he asked, blue eyes narrowed.

"Well, she was about to kill you. I couldn't get through the electrical wall. What else was I supposed to do? Shout at her and wave my arms around?"

Steve cracked a small smile. "I just wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if you'd died," he told her.

"Well that's what friends do, isn't it?" she asked. At his questioning look she added, "Save each other. Don't tell me Bucky didn't save you from the bullies who roughed you up in New York from time to time."

Steve winced. "Yeah, he did pull me out of some rough spots in the past. He always let me think I had it covered though, and he never asked for anything in return."

"That's a true friend. You're lucky, you know. True friends are pretty hard to find."

"Seems like the nurse, Lucy, is pretty close to you."

"Lucy, yeah, I guess we are pretty close. Or at least we could be. She's a sweet girl."

"She thinks the world of you, you know. She told me you were a hero. Told me about the way you stood up to those Nazis when they came to your camp."

"I'm really not a hero. I don't know why she keeps saying that," Aspen said, her cheeks warming. She picked at the blanket's fraying edge.

"Maybe because it's true," he told her with a smile. "You're just too modest to see it."

"Just like you." She looked up at him.

"Yeah, maybe."

They fell silent for a while until Steve spoke again. "Before, in the lift, you were going to say something to me."

"Oh, right." She felt embarrassed now that the excitement and danger was over. "Just that you were an inspiration to me back in New York. To see you so determined to fight even though no one was willing to give you a chance… I wanted to do my duty too, so I joined as a nurse. I'd always wanted to thank you though."

"I want to thank you too," Steve told her.

"For what?"

"For seeing the worth in me even when I was scrawny and weak."

"You were never weak," she told him, meeting his gaze. "You've always been stronger than most men."

"Well thank you for seeing that," he said. "It means a lot to me."

"Is Bucky alright?" Aspen asked him.

"Yeah, he's fine. Just a little bruised and battered like the rest of us."

"And your arm?"

"Fine. The poison took about twenty-four hours to work its way out of my blood stream. Like she said, it wasn't a lethal amount."

"Who was she?"

"I have no idea. Zemo called her Madame Hydra."

"She mentioned the Red Skull. I don't know who that is either," Aspen said. "I hadn't even heard of Hydra until I got thrown in that castle. Only whispers."

"Hydra is Hitler's scientific research branch. Red Skull or Johann Schmidt is their leader. He took an imperfect sample of the Super Soldier Serum and it turned him into what he is today. He's obsessed with the occult and supernatural."

"That might explain the strange weapons I saw there."

Steve nodded. "They're far more advanced than ours. He has a power source. Something we've never seen before."

"Do you think he could win the war with it?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

"I want to help." Steve looked up at her in surprise. "I know it's going to be dangerous," she said, holding up her hand to stop any argument. "But we live in dangerous times, and I'm not going to stand by like a coward."

"Well, I suppose the Howling Commandos could use a woman's touch." He gave her a lopsided smile. "Can you fight?"

Aspen grinned. "Every lady reporter needs some good old-fashioned self-defense training. I'm a little rusty with a gun, but I can practice."

"Well then," he said, holding out a hand, "welcome aboard." Aspen lay her slim hand in his larger one and shook it firmly.

**May 10****th**** Belgium Border**

Aspen fired off three shots at the target. Each one hit the bull's eye with a precision that came with practice. Ever since they had left Denmark, she had been practicing whenever she got a chance. She'd shed her Nazi uniform for a U.S. Army one and been accepted into the Howling Commandos. At first they'd simply stared at her, but then Bucky had said, "Good for you. We need all the fighters we can get," and they'd shaken her hand and patted her on the shoulder. Just like that she was one of them. Steve had vouched for her, telling, much to her embarrassment, the story of how she had saved her fellow nurses as well as him and Bucky. They'd traveled with the 107th Infantry, but tomorrow the Howling Commandos were infiltrating a Hydra base in Belgium.

"You know those Hydra soldiers aren't going to stand a chance with you on the team now," a voice said from the shadows. Aspen stopped shooting and looked over. A dark-haired figure detached himself from the shadows and strode forward. The bruises on Bucky's face were still noticeable, but the cuts were almost healed.

"Flattery isn't going to get you anywhere, you know," she said, giving him a sly smile.

"Can't blame a guy for trying." He matched her smile.

"Are you nervous?" Aspen asked.

"About tomorrow?" She nodded. "Naw, we've got this," he said confidently. Aspen saw a flutter of something other than confidence behind his blue eyes though.

"Dugan mentioned that you'd been tortured in Austria," she said softly. "I'm sorry. That must have been horrifying."

The mischievous glint had disappeared, and Aspen realized she was seeing the true Bucky in this moment. His eyes grew distant as he spoke. He looked so vulnerable that Aspen felt a surge of anger at the man who had experimented on him. She'd been told about Zola and his work that he'd done in the name of Hydra. He was just as much a monster as Red Skull in her opinion. Bucky was a person, not just another nameless patient, but that hadn't stopped Zola from experimenting on him. "I don't remember all of it," he told her. "It fades in and out. Sometimes I'll wake up and think I'm still in that lab, strapped down. Sometimes I still think I can feel the pain. But then I realize it's just a memory, and I'm safe." He laughed hollowly. "Well, not safe, but you know what I mean." He looked away, his eyes looking dead as if he was seeing the lab and not the forest around them.

"You know, before this war I had a very different idea of what war really was," Aspen told him. "I never gave thought to the men giving their lives so that we could keep our freedom. Of course the last war was over before I was born. We take it for granted until we're here to see the destruction it causes and the deaths… I took a few lives back in that castle. I'd never killed anyone before." She laughed humorously. "Listen to me. No one would ever say anything like that in real life. But here…it's a totally different playing field. It's kill or be killed no matter what you want to do."

"At first it was really hard for me," Bucky told her. He leaned up against the tree next to her. Up close she could see the weariness in his eyes. He put on a show for Steve, but he was still in pain. She had no idea how deep it went. "But after awhile you just sort of let that feeling go – that feeling of horror and regret. It's like for every life you take, your humanity is slowly stripped away until you're just as bad as the guys you're fighting." His voice was rough, and Aspen saw a haunted look pass over his face.

"I don't think that's true. You could never be like them," she said.

"Wish I had your confidence." He still wouldn't meet her eyes as he picked at the bark on the tree next to him. She had never seen this side of him before. The cockiness and confidence was gone. She saw a brokenness she'd never seen before. It was something he kept locked away, but right now it was exposed and she wanted so very much to heal the pain. If only she had the power to do so.

She took a step forward and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked down at it in surprise. "You're nothing like those guys out there," she told him. "You know why?" He shook his head, eyes on hers again. "Because you have friends to look out for you and much too big a heart to ever lose your humanity." She thought of the way he looked out for Steve and never saw the weaknesses, only the strengths. The way he'd looked out for her on their missions, always someone she could rely on.

She couldn't read the emotion in his eyes but then the next moment he leaned forward and kissed her. Aspen was too surprised to pull away. It was by no means unpleasant, and there was nothing pushy about the way he kissed her. In that moment he was opening himself up to her without the walls he usually kept up. She leaned into him a little, letting the kiss deepen but for some reason her thoughts flashed to Steve. She gently put her hand on Bucky's chest and pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just…I can't."

He gave her a small smile. "I know," he said. "I just had to try."

"I know." She smiled back.

"He's lucky you know," Bucky said as she turned away.

"Who?" She turned back with a questioning look.

"The little guy from Brooklyn who stole your heart," he said before walking away.

…

Steve had been having trouble focusing all day. He knew he needed to be sharp for the mission ahead of them. They didn't know exactly what they were walking into or how many Hydra soldiers would be stationed in the Belgian town they were headed to. They needed to be prepared for anything, but right now his mind just couldn't concentrate on the matter at hand. He saw Aspen pass his tent, gun in hand. She'd been practicing every spare moment she had when they were far enough away from the enemy camps that her gunshots wouldn't be heard. Her commitment to the Howling Commandos had impressed the others, and she was welcomed in whole-heartedly.

He realized he'd been staring after her for a long time now and looked back down at the map in front of him. The map blurred as he lost focus. He sighed, shoving it aside. It was no use. Instead he stood and stretched his limbs. He'd been sitting for too long. Maybe he'd go see how Aspen was doing. He left the tent and walked into the cool evening air. The sound of gun firing had ceased and, as he approached the clearing where Aspen was shooting, he saw that Bucky was already there. He hesitated though he wasn't sure why, watching as Aspen and Bucky spoke. They seemed to be deep in conversation because Aspen's brow was furrowed, her full attention on Bucky. They stood close, Bucky leaned up against a tree. Aspen put a hand on his shoulder, and suddenly he leaned down and kissed her.

Steve felt shocked for a moment. Then he realized Bucky had been interested in Aspen for a long time. It wasn't really a surprise. Steve turned away feeling like he was intruding on something private. He headed back to his tent, his head filled with confusing mixture of emotions. Surprise, hurt, jealousy… He stopped short. It wasn't like he had any claim to Aspen. Did he even have feelings for her? He'd never considered it before though Bucky had hinted at it. He'd certainly never acted on them before. He closed his eyes for a moment and pictured her, glowing green eyes, bobbed red hair, warm, sincere smile. Whenever she was close his heart picked up the tempo. He'd noticed that a long time ago but had summed it up to nerves. But Bucky was his best friend. If he was interested in Aspen then Steve wasn't going to get in his way. Aspen deserved someone who was honorable and kind, someone who would treat her well, like she was someone special. Bucky would do that. He was the best man Steve knew. He wasn't going to get in the way of that. He continued to his tent, closing the flaps and lying down on his cot. Even though he felt happy for them, he couldn't push away the disappointment that wedged its way in or the empty hole that seemed to appear somewhere deep inside his heart.

…

Aspen wandered distractedly back to the tent she shared with Lucy, her thoughts scrambled and confused. Bucky thought that she liked _Steve_? Did she? Of course she _liked_ him, but right now wasn't the time for figuring out her feelings. They had a war to win and an enemy to bring down. As she lay on her cot though, she couldn't shake the image of Steve sitting on the stoop of the art school, snow collecting on his blonde hair. He'd looked so devastated to learn he couldn't join the war. "_I hope you get in," _she'd told him._ "Because our country needs more men like you." _That they had found each other again so far from home had to mean_ something_, she just didn't know what yet. She sighed and rolled over. Maybe when this was all over she could think it over. Right now she needed sleep before their mission tomorrow. As butterflies tickled her stomach, she forced herself to think of home and how wonderful it would be to see New York once more when this was all over. Instead of the city skyline she kept seeing a set of bright blue eyes.


	11. Revenge

**May 11****th**** Lommel, Belgium**

Under the cover of night, the Howling Commandos slipped into the Belgium town that was occupied by the Hydra agents and Nazi soldiers. The city was beautiful from what Aspen could see in the dark. A river ran through it edged with sandy banks and tall trees. They skirted along the edge, making their way toward a well-lit manor at the edge of the town. It was heavily shrouded in trees and bushes, and they were able to get close enough to make out the details of the rooms through the windows. Aspen could see Hydra guards standing in the drawing room. They held the special guns she now recognized. Another man passed by the window, and Aspen nearly gasped. It was Doctor Giovanni looking well and alive. She turned to Steve and nudged his arm. He acknowledged her with a nod.

Steve had been distant the last day. Perhaps it was just the nerves from infiltrating yet another Hydra base, but he hadn't spoken more than two words to her. She pushed the thought from her head – now was _not_ the time to be thinking about that – and waited for Steve's orders.

"Dugan, Morita, Dernier, you take the back door. Falsworth, Jones, you take the east upper story. Bucky and Aspen, you go in the west upper story," he instructed.

Aspen looked over at Bucky, wondering why Steve had paired them up. Usually she went with Steve or one of the others but never alone with Bucky. "Where are you going to be?" she asked him.

He didn't look at her when he replied. "Through the front," he said. "Now move out. We surround them and take them by surprise. I'll distract them downstairs."

"Be careful," Aspen called after him.

He paused and then, without looking at her, said, "You too."

Everyone moved out, and Bucky gave Aspen a nudge. She stood, following him around the west side of the manor. She was going to ask how they were going to get up to the second story, but then she noticed that the trees came right up to the side of the house, the low-lying branches nearly connecting with the windows. "Need a boost?" Bucky asked with a smile.

"Maybe." Aspen studied the tree for a moment. The lowest branch was still several feet above her head. "Okay, yeah."

Bucky crouched down and held out his hands to give her a leg up. With the boost, she was able to grab a lower branch and pull herself up. Bucky needed no such help and was soon up the tree as well. They carefully made their way up until they reached the branch that extended to the window. Aspen crawled along it, hoping it would support her weight. When it did, she reached out and tried the window. To her surprise, it was unlocked, and she eased it open. She slid into the dark room, and Bucky climbed in a moment later. He brushed against her as he fumbled for a lighter. The tiny spark of fire did little to light the room, but they were able to find the door. The corridor beyond was dim, but they saw light streaming out from a door down toward the end of the hall. Bucky pocketed the lighter, and Aspen readied her gun, feeling an intense anxiety take over her. She didn't want to kill anyone, but this was war. Killing was just a part of it.

Bucky seemed to sense her anxiety because he squeezed her arm and whispered, "Remember that you have friends to look out for you." Aspen shot him a grateful smile. She was so glad he hadn't been strange around her since their kiss. He'd just been a true friend. As they reached the door, Bucky took the lead. He readied his gun and kicked the door open.

"Don't shoot!" A feeble looking man held his hands up as soon as Bucky and Aspen entered the room. "I surrender!" He didn't look like much of a threat. He was dressed in a lab coat and wore a pair of goggles that made his eyes look buggy. "I was forced to work here. Please! I am on the Allies' side, not these madmen!"

Bucky lowered his gun. "What is Hydra doing here?" he asked.

"They are researching something. A new genetic serum. But it is impossible. I've seen the notes." He handed them a journal which Bucky flipped through.

"Wait," Aspen said as he flipped the pages. "I know that handwriting." She snatched the journal from Bucky and stared down at the writing. "It's my parents' writing. I would know it anywhere." She turned her attention to the man. "Where did you get this?" she asked.

He quailed. "I don't know! It was here when they took me. The mad doctor says he wants me to create this serum, but it's impossible! I asked why he did not have the original scientists work on it, but he said they refused to help him. He said the same thing would happen to me if I refused."

"What do you mean the same thing?" Aspen's heart had started pounding loudly.

The little man shuddered, but did not answer. The look of terror on his face answered her question. Aspen's mind was buzzing, her ears were buzzing, her vision blurring. She thought she heard Bucky saying her name. She didn't remember dropping the journal, but it now lay on the floor.

"Giovanni," she finally managed to spit out. Her rage was building. That leech of a doctor had _killed_ her parents. She hadn't heard from them in ages, but she'd never imagined they were dead. "How long?" she asked the scientist.

"I don't know. I know nothing more."

"Aspen, calm down," Bucky told her, grasping her shoulders. She realized she was shaking.

"Calm down?" she asked, looking up at him with fierce eyes. "He _murdered_ my parents, Bucky. He's going to pay."

"Hey, he will. He _will_ pay, but right now we've got a mission. Right? Can we get through that?" Aspen forced herself to nod. "Get yourself to safety," Bucky told the Belgian man. The man scurried from the room without another word. Bucky didn't let go of Aspen's shoulders.

"I'm _fine_," she told him, trying to break away.

"No, you're not. Hey, look at me." She grudgingly met his bluish grey eyes. "We will make him pay. Just don't do anything stupid, okay? We need to check the rest of the upstairs for Hydra and then head down."

"I'm going to stay here a minute," Aspen told him. "I want to look at my parents' notes."

Bucky gave her a long look and then nodded. "Alright. Just stay here." Aspen watched him leave, feeling numb. She bent down and picked up the journal, flipping through the familiar handwriting. It was hard to read, and she realized it was because tears had filled her eyes. She tucked the journal into her belt and looked around her. To think that Hydra had killed her parents when they wouldn't help them. Stolen their work. Reproduced their serums. She wanted to destroy every square inch of the room, but now wasn't the time. She was no longer content to just sit and wait, so she left the room. Bucky was nowhere to be seen, so she made her way down the staircase. It creaked under her foot, and she paused. She heard nothing and continued on, taking care to tread lightly. Then she heard voices. They were coming from the first story of the house from the front parlor. She recognized Steve's voice and then… Her fists clenched, and she felt as if her anger was going to burst out of her at any moment. Doctor Giovanni's laugh rang out, and that was it for Aspen. She charged down the stairs, pulling out her gun and rushing into the parlor. Doctor Giovanni was on his knees. Bucky held a gun to the Hydra soldiers, and Steve stood interrogating Giovanni. They all looked up in surprise when she entered. Bucky sighed.

"Ah, I see you made it out of the castle alive after all," Giovanni said. Aspen swung the gun up so that it was pressed against his temple.

"Aspen!" Steve said in shock. "What are you doing?"

"This man, this _abomination_, killed my parents," she spat.

"Calm down, Aspen," Bucky said. "Remember what we talked about."

Aspen drew a shuddering breath, but kept the gun at Giovanni's temple. Her hand shook though she tried to keep it steady. Giovanni laughed softly. "You're not a killer. You don't have the guts to pull that trigger."

"I wouldn't goad her if I was you," Bucky said.

"It was just business," Giovanni said to Aspen, eyes cruel and cold. She refused to look away. "They had the chance to live. I gave you that same chance before."

"By joining you?" Aspen laughed mirthlessly. "I would have died before joining you."

"After Hydra takes over the world, you might just get that chance," he told her.

"You can go to hell," Aspen spat. She took a deep breath and pulled the gun from his head, taking a step back. Giovanni gave her an infuriating smile, but she lowered the gun.

The room was silent for a long moment until a small click filled the air. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as one of the Hydra soldiers at the back of the room flung a grenade straight at Steve.

"Look out!" Aspen shouted at the same time that Steve thrust his shield out, whacking the grenade with all his might. It flew through the window, but the resulting explosion rocked them all back on their feet. Aspen saw Giovanni pull a Hydra gun from his jacket and point it at Steve. Aspen brought up her own gun. A shot echoed throughout the room. Everyone stood still as time finally sped up. Smoke issued from the end of Aspen's gun, and Doctor Giovanni slumped forward onto the floor, a bullet wound marking his forehead straight between the eyes. Aspen dropped the gun as a violent bout of shivers overtook her. She stepped back from the body, horrified. It wasn't the first life she had taken, but she would be lying if she said she didn't feel some measure of satisfaction with this one. She had avenged her parents' deaths. The satisfaction quickly turned to revolt.

The rest of the Howling Commandos came running at the commotion. Aspen suddenly needed air. She needed to get out of this building. She ran for the front door, ignoring the voices that called after her. She didn't stop running until she reached the river. She climbed down the sandy embankment and stood at the water's edge. Sunrise was slowly forcing its way over the horizon, casting a feeble light on the scene before her. She stood huddled against the cold morning, shivering violently. After what seemed like hours but could have been a few short minutes, she heard footsteps and felt a coat being placed around her shoulders.

"You did what had to be done. He would have shot Steve," Bucky said.

"It doesn't change the fact that I killed a man. Or that woman or those Nazis. I can't even remember what the latter looked like. How can I kill a man and not even remember his face?" She looked up at Bucky. "It all blurs together but yet I can remember sinking the knife in or pulling the trigger. I should be able to do this. I signed up for it. I'm not supposed to react this way."

"Just because I signed up for this doesn't mean it doesn't bother me. Hell, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone it doesn't bother. I bet even the Germans sometimes feel appalled at what they're doing. A lot of them joined the war because they were forced to, not because they believe in what Hitler says."

"So if neither side wants to kill people, why are we fighting a war?" Aspen asked.

Bucky gave her a sad smile. "Now that's the question, isn't it?" He put an arm around her, and her shivering ceased. "Just hang in there," he told her, pressing a kiss to her head. He squeezed her shoulder before heading back up the embankment, leaving her with his jacket.

…

Steve watched from the top of the embankment as Bucky comforted Aspen. She stood huddled, red hair blowing in the cold morning breeze. Bucky had laid his jacket over her shoulders, and her shivering lessened. After a moment he pressed a kiss to her head and walked toward Steve.

"How is she?" Steve asked softly.

"Not so great. I think she's in shock. I know she killed some Hydra agents back at the castle, but this was more personal. She lost control of herself for a minute."

"She saved my life."

"I know that, but right now all she knows is that she killed a man. She thinks she's losing her humanity. You should go talk to her."

"I'm not sure I'm the one she wants comforting her right now," Steve said quietly.

"You're the one she just shot a man to save," Bucky said.

"She would have done the same for anyone," Steve replied.

"Just go talk to her," Bucky told him.

Aspen didn't turn to face him when he approached. He didn't know what to say, what he _could_ say. For a moment he just stood next to her quietly. They watched the sun flood over the horizon, setting the river ablaze with pink and orange.

"I'm so sorry about your parents," Steve finally said. "I had no idea…"

"Giovanni wanted them to work for him. They refused. I hadn't seen them in years. We were never the kind of family to…well, be a family. Their research always took precedence over their only daughter. I used to think I was selfish until I realized other parents loved their children."

"I'm sure they loved you," Steve told her. "Maybe they just didn't know how to tell you." She looked up at him, eyes watery and desperate. "I lost my father when I was pretty young – killed in action in the First World War. My mother died of pneumonia the summer of 1941."

"That wasn't that long ago. I'm sorry."

He looked over at her, blue eyes sad. "I'm not sure how I would have got by without Bucky."

"He's a good friend," Aspen said with a smile. Steve felt a twist in his stomach. He pushed the feeling aside.

"I'm lucky to have him," he said. He had no idea what he would do without Bucky. He'd only ever been a constant and true friend. He was glad Aspen had him in her life too. "He likes you a lot," he said suddenly.

Aspen gave a small laugh. "Yeah, I kind of got that idea. He doesn't exactly hide his feelings."

Steve blushed. "Sorry, it's not the time to be talking about that. I'm not sure why I said that," he said. He scuffed the sand with his boot.

"Actually talking about anything else is a good distraction. This isn't the time to mourn. Not when we have a war to win."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I will be. I just needed to remind myself that I'm not a monster. Not like he was."

"You could never been a monster, Aspen," Steve said, looking her in the eye. "I don't think it's possible. You have too big a heart."

Those words seemed to have the opposite affect on her than what he'd meant them to. She suddenly sniffed, holding back a sob. Steve looked down at her, alarmed, but she shook her head to keep him from apologizing. "Thank you," she said.

"Hey, it's alright." He put a tentative arm around her, and she sunk into him, wrapping her arms around him. He tensed for a moment, but then put both arms around her and held her close while she cried. Right now she was comforted by his presence, and Steve wanted her to know that he would always be there for her. He held her closer and let her cry as the sun stained the sky orange and warmed their faces in the chilly fall morning.


	12. Defiance

**October 22****nd**

It was easy to fall into the rhythm of the Howling Commandos once Aspen learned to master her emotions. The loss of her parents had hit her hard, but she realized they would want her to continue on. People were going to keep dying until the war was over. If Aspen could save a few lives along the way and take down a few Hydra bases, she was doing her duty. She had grown to respect and appreciate the company of her fellow commandos, and they had accepted her as one of them. She was always laughing at some story Dugan told her or the antics of Dernier as he rigged extensive explosives to take down Hydra bases. Falsworth always had something insightful to say, and Mortia and Jones always made sure to include her in their operations. In the past few months she'd grown closer to Bucky too. Now that he wasn't flirting with her so much, they'd developed a bond closer to brother and sister. He was always protective of her but never demeaning. They looked to each other as partners. Steve was always the leader. He was always busy strategizing or fighting. Truth be told, Aspen had spent a lot less time with him though she'd been travelling with him for months now. After he'd comforted her on the bank in Belgium, he'd grown distant again – not unfriendly, but distracted and sometimes hard to reach. She wasn't sure what had changed, but she missed whatever they'd had before. Friendship at least, but now she wasn't sure what they were. She told herself he was focused on their missions. She should be too. That sometimes worked. Other times she missed the scrawny artist from Brooklyn who'd shyly talked to her after class. Those memories seemed so far away now as if they'd happened in another lifetime altogether.

Tonight they'd just made camp after a long and grueling mission in Czechoslovakia. Aspen was seated next to Bucky, watching Steve across the fire. His blonde hair was illuminated by the fire, carefully laid flat against his head. She noticed that his blue eyes never met hers though several times they flitted across the fire to where she and Bucky were seated. She realized she was staring when Bucky nudged her with his elbow.

"Why don't you just talk to him?" he asked.

"Talk to who? I don't know what you're talking about," she said defensively, setting her eyes on the ground.

He smirked. "You know exactly who and what I'm talking about," he told her. "You haven't been able to take your eyes off of Steve all day."

"I have not been staring at him!" she hissed, trying to keep her voice down.

Bucky chuckled. "Just talk to him."

"And say what exactly?"

"Well, telling him how you feel about him might be a start."

"How I feel about him? You make it sound as if I have feelings, but I can assure you, I only think of him as a friend and leader."

"You're going to have to do better than that to convince me," Bucky told her. "What's wrong, Pen? Why can't you just admit you like him?"

"Because now isn't the time to form attachments. He needs to be focused, and so do I."

"Sometimes you need a little piece of happiness when everything else is looking grim."

"You're talking as if he reciprocates my supposed feelings for him," Aspen said. "Supposing that I _did_ have feelings for him, he's Captain America. He could choose whatever girl he liked. I very much doubt I'd be very high on that list."

"You slight yourself too much, Pen. Steve thinks the world of you. He always has since the moment he met you."

"And yet you pursued me?" Aspen lifted an eyebrow.

"Truthfully? I wasn't sure you would ever see him for who he really was. I didn't want him to get hurt. You proved me wrong though. You _did_ see the real him; not the scrawny Steve who was too sickly to join the war, but the brave, honest, good Steve who was brave enough to keep trying. You're good like him. There aren't a lot of people who still have that, but no matter what the two of you have been through, you still have that inherent good that sets you apart."

Aspen smiled. "I think you overestimate me," she told him. "I could never be like him."

Bucky sighed. "You're modest too. You're more like him than you know. And you know what I've noticed? When you're not looking, he can't take his eyes off you." Aspen's heart gave a little flutter. She had to stop herself from asking 'really?' Instead she kept a straight face as Bucky continued. "He's too shy to make the first move. You're gonna have to pin him down."

"You make it sound like I'm going to have to force him to the ground and beat the feelings out of him."

Bucky gave her a smile. "Just talk to him. Seriously. Watching the two of you tiptoe around each other like startled deer is getting tiresome. I'm not the only one who's noticed."

"Who else has noticed?" Aspen asked in alarm, looking around at the other Howling Commandos. Her cheeks warmed.

"Relax," Bucky told her with a chuckle. "I'm sure at least two of us were completely ignorant to this. Hmm." He pretended to think. "That would be you and Steve."

"Very funny," Aspen huffed, warmth radiating off her cheeks now. "I'm glad this is all one big joke to you."

"It's not, Pen, it's not. You and Steve mean a lot to me. I want to see you happy. Hell, you both deserve it. Just give it a chance. If not now, then when? Who knows if we're all going to make it out of this war? I'd like to see my best friend happy."

"Just let me do this my way, please. Don't you dare say a word to him," Aspen shot at him.

"So you'll do it?" Bucky beamed.

"I don't even completely know how I feel about any of this. Give me a chance to think at least!" She got up and retreated to her tent. She could feel Steve's eyes on her as she passed, but she didn't turn around to look at him. Even so, his blue eyes were all she could see when she lay down to think. It certainly didn't help. Nothing he did helped. Watching him save innocent children didn't help. Watching him save trapped civilians didn't help. Watching him be a hero didn't help. Whenever he did something kind-hearted, something good, Aspen couldn't help feeling _something_ and that _something_ got stronger and stronger every day. She sighed. Why try to keep denying the truth? Steve Rogers had stolen the hearts of Americans, and he was unwittingly making off with hers too.

**October 31****st**** Mediterranean Sea**

"I'm going in alone on this one," Steve said to the Howling Commandos as they stood in the damp air along the Mediterranean Sea.

"You don't have to go in alone," Dugan told him. "We're with you."

"Not on this one," Steve said, putting a hand on Dugan's shoulder. "The Hydra Leviathan is a mile out. I'm going to swim it."

"Are you crazy?" Bucky asked. "We'll find a boat. Find a submarine of our own."

"They won't be expecting just one man to be coming after them especially swimming. I've got this." He looked around at all of them.

"Hell, it's a crazy plan, but it just might work," Dugan said.

"So we're just going to sit here?" Aspen asked, speaking up. Steve's eyes flitted to her. An emotion she couldn't read lingered there for a moment before vanishing.

"Keep the shore lines safe," he said. "I'll be back soon."

"That's it?" Aspen asked, following him down the sandy beach and to the edge of the water. He turned to look at her.

"Stay here with the others, Aspen," he told her. "They need you here."

"How do you know you don't need me there?" she asked boldly.

He frowned, two crease lines appearing between his eyebrows. "Aspen, you're an asset to this team, but you can't keep up with me in the water. I can't be worrying about you." When she glared at him, he came forward and put a hand on her shoulder. It was the most contact they'd had over the past few months, but Aspen nearly pulled away.

"I don't like worrying about you," she told him. "It's hard not to know what's happening."

"I know. I'll be back before you know it though," he assured her, squeezing her shoulder. He turned and waded into the water before diving in. Aspen stood on the bank watching until she could no longer see his form. She kicked the sand angrily. She couldn't explain the feeling she had, the need to go after him, but she feared something bad would happen if he went alone. She left the Howling Commandos on the beach setting up camp and wandered across the sand. The thick mist had saturated her hair and it clung to her face in chunks. She had half a mind to whip out her knife and chop it all off, but she tried to ignore it instead. She had wandered maybe a quarter mile down the beach when she came to a solid object half covered in seaweed. She worked to uncover it, hands moving deftly as the shape appeared. It was a boat. It was old and looked like it wouldn't hold much weight but there were no holes and two perfectly good oars lying inside. She couldn't believe her good luck. Of course no one would let her go after Steve. She looked back along the beach where she could just see shapes moving. She looked around and found a sizable piece of driftwood. Someone would come looking for her eventually. She held the driftwood and began carving words in the sand far enough away from the water that the waves wouldn't wash the words away. When she was done, she stood back to survey her work.

_Went after him._

Short and to the point. She dragged the boat into the water and pushed off, jumping in and grabbing the oars. She settled them into their spots and began to row as quickly as she could. Even though she was in the best condition in her life, her arms began to burn after ten minutes. She had no way to know when a mile had passed or where the submarine would even be. She realized this might turn out to be a miserable failure of a mission, starting to regret having rowed out this far, but determination kept her rowing. When she felt as if a mile had passed, she looked down into the water. It was deep and dark, and she could see nothing. She would have to submerge, she realized, in order to see below the surface. The thought of predators crossed her mind, and she realized too late her guns would do no good underwater. In fact, the bullets would be compromised if they got wet. She unloaded her guns, setting them in the bottom of the boat. She'd have to go in with only her knife if she even got that far. What if she swam too far and lost the boat? What if she was stuck a mile out with no way back? Her instincts screamed at her to row back, but she couldn't let herself do that. She took a deep breath, standing shakily in the boat, and dived in. The water was cold, and it cut through her clothes like a machete, giving her goose bumps all up along her arms and legs. She opened her eyes and saw that the world was dark below the surface. She could make out the shimmering light of the sun, but the further down she looked, the darker it was. She had no idea how low submarines went, but she had a feeling it would be fairly deep. She probably couldn't even hold her breath long enough to find it. She looked around in a circle before going up for air. She panted, clutching at the side of the boat for support. This was a very, very stupid idea, she told herself.

She looked around, wondering if she should take the boat further in any direction. The sun was so hazy above her that she had no idea which way she was going. As she gazed around, she decided to go under one more time, deeper, and see if she could see anything more. She ducked under the water and swam lower, but it only got darker. She looked for as long as she could until her lungs were fit to burst and then surfaced. She had drifted further away from the boat than she had intended and made toward it. Something drifting in the water a few yards away made her do a double take. Fear coursed through her. There was an object above the surface bobbing slowly toward her. Her first instincts were that it was a shark, but it didn't look at all like a fin. On the contrary, it looked rather like a telescope sticking out of the water and bent at an angle. Aspen felt a surge of excitement run through her veins. She hadn't found the submarine; it had found her. She dove down and saw a huge mass moving below the surface of the water. She swam down as quickly as she could. It was moving much faster, but she had a head start on it. She wasn't sure how she was going to get in, but she knew she needed to act quickly. As she came closer to the side of the submarine she saw a hatch that was hanging askew as if someone had already forced it open. She made for it quickly, catching onto the metal opening and pulling herself in. She found herself in a small space filled with water. Her lungs were beginning to burn, and she pounded on the small opening on the inside. It budged slightly. She pushed as hard as she could and finally managed to open it, tumbling inside of the submarine with a surge of water. She coughed, wringing her soaked hair out and standing. Her clothes were waterlogged, and she felt like a drowned cat, but she was in.

Wet footprints led out of the room, and she followed them wincing when her shoes squelched on the floor. She took them off, setting them by the door and padded in stocking foot down the hall. She was leaving a watery trail behind her, but she wasn't sure that could be helped. She tiptoed after Steve's trail, peering around the corner to make sure no one was there. She had just turned the corner when she heard voices speaking in German up ahead. She panicked and pushed into the door on her left. The room beyond was dimly lit, and she backed up blindly, hoping to God the Germans didn't come in there. Suddenly something grabbed her roughly from behind. One hand grabbed her mouth, the other her arm. She tried to struggle, but it was no use. Whoever holding her was much stronger than her. She was dragged toward the light of the portal and looked up into her captor's eyes.


	13. Fate

**Author's Note: **Anyone else still reeling from the _Age of Ultron_ preview? I had that string song stuck in my head for like two days. Creepy and uncalled for. I just kind of stop breathing every time I see that preview. And the end...with the cracked shield...I kind of died. I swear, I am so attached to every one of those characters. I have a feeling by the end of the movie I am going to be huddled in a ball on the theatre floor crying my eyes out. My best friend put it this way: Age of Ultron makes the Avengers 1 look like a comedy. It just looks so dark...but amazing.

Anyway, thank you so much for the favorites and follows! This is one of my favorite chapters, so I hope you enjoy! Please feel free to leave a review!

* * *

><p>Instantly the hand on her mouth was dropped, but the hand on her arm stayed. "Aspen? What on earth are you doing here?"<p>

Steve stood before her looking both surprised and furious, his brow furrowed, blue eyes stormy with emotion. "I found a boat and rowed here. I couldn't just sit around while you were possibly in danger," Aspen told him.

"You followed me all the way here because you thought I was in danger?" he asked, voice softening. She nodded. "How did you even find me?"

"I got lucky I guess. I wasn't sure how I was going to find the submarine for a minute or two."

"You still shouldn't have come. It's dangerous, Aspen. I can't worry about you too."

"But you don't have to." Aspen pulled out of his grip. "You're always making up that excuse, but I can take care of myself. For once in your life let someone else look out for you," she snapped. Steve looked surprised at her outburst. He stood staring at her for a moment. "Sometimes you are so stubborn that it makes me crazy!" Aspen continued on when he didn't say anything.

"I'm stubborn?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yes, you're stubborn!"

"I'm not the one who defied orders and chased after me anyway," he said. She'd never seen Steve angry before but right now she could sense his tension and frustration. She knew he didn't deserve this outburst, but she was going to give it to him anyway.

"You're the one who stubbornly insists he can do everything by himself because you don't want anyone else getting hurt. We signed up for this though or did you forget? I came here to help people, and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit on the sidelines and let you do everything."

"I was just trying to think realistically," he argued. "I wasn't trying to keep you from helping."

"Just because you're a superior human being doesn't mean everyone else is helpless!"

"I would never think that! I don't think I'm superior in any sense." He ran a hand through his hair distractedly and then crossed his arms over his broad chest. Aspen's eyes trailed down it, and she mentally kicked herself. What was wrong with her? "Sometimes I think you might have that sense about yourself though," he added.

"Me?" Aspen looked at him in surprise. "Every since Belgium you've been treating me differently!" With a deep breath, she pushed on, realizing this was the heart of what was bothering her. "You hardly look at me, you hardly come near me. Maybe I'm just trying to prove that I'm capable of doing good still. That I'm not just a killer. I'm afraid that you don't see me the same way anymore."

"Aspen, I would never think that! I'm sorry I've been distant. I-" he hesitated at this, looking suddenly shy. "I thought maybe you wanted some distance but not because of that."

"Then why?" she asked.

Steve's cheeks had reddened slightly. "Because I thought you and Bucky were…" he trailed off. Now it was Aspen's turn to blush.

"You thought Bucky and I were what?" she asked indignantly.

"Interested in each other. I didn't want to get in the way of that."

"Why on earth would you think that?" she asked.

"I –er– I saw you kiss him," he said, looking at his feet. Anywhere but her.

Aspen gawked at him for a moment. "That… Oh, no, that… _He_ kissed_ me_," she told him. "I told him I wasn't interested. Is that what you thought all this time?" He nodded, still not looking up at her. "Steve, Bucky is a friend, a good friend, but that's all he'll ever be. We settled that."

"I'm sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion." Silence fell between them. "Right now we need to focus on sinking this sub," Steve finally said.

"Right, sub." Aspen tipped her head nervously toward the door. "I guess no one heard us." She grimaced.

"Yeah…" Steve looked completely abashed and wouldn't meet her eyes again. Aspen felt ashamed of herself for shouting at him. She'd never seen him get angry before, but yet she had pushed him to shout back at her.

She was going to apologize, but Steve had already moved to the door, clearly focused on the task at hand again. Aspen followed him. "What's the plan?" she asked.

"We need to get to the engine room and disable the engines. Then we find a way to sink her." He slid the door open and slipped out, Aspen close behind him. They travelled up the dim corridor until Aspen could hear the rumbling of the engines. The door to the engine room had a round glass window in it, and they peered in. Half a dozen Hydra soldiers lazed around the room, weapons slack in their hands. Clearly they were not aware their sub had been breached.

"You guard the door, I'll take out the guards," Steve told her.

Aspen glared at him. "I can fight as well as any man," she snapped.

He looked down at her, eyes pleading. "Fine," he said when she wouldn't budge. "You take the ones on the left, I'll take the ones on the right."

"That's better."

He opened the door, and they both slipped in. Before the Hydra guards could register the newcomers, Steve sent his shield flying. It ricocheted off three of the guards before coming back to him so that he could send it into a fourth guard's head. Aspen flung herself at the fifth guard, choking off his windpipes until he fell to the floor. The last guard scrambled for the radio to call in help, but Aspen sent her knife flying before he could reach a hand out to grab the radio. He cried out in pain when the knife sliced into the flesh on his hand. Steve's shield silenced him a moment later.

"Nice work," Steve threw at her before taking up his shield and slamming it into the first engine. Aspen bit back the retort that he'd hardly let her fight. He made short order of the second engine and the submarine began to slow, dropping ever so slightly. Voices could be heard down the corridor as the Hydra soldiers became aware of the submarine's hesitation to move forward. Aspen peered out of the door, but so far the corridor beyond was empty.

"We need to find a way to take this sub down. Come on." Steve headed back down the corridor, and Aspen had to run to keep up. The voices echoed in another corridor that led the opposite direction, and Aspen saw a glimpse of more Hydra soldiers. Finally Steve opened a door and ushered Aspen into what was clearly a weapon's room. She did a double take when she saw the torpedoes.

"Those are huge," she said. "Hydra could do some damage with those."

"We need to make sure none of these ever get fired." Steve pulled something out of a pouch on his belt.

"What's that?"

"Water resistant explosives," he told her. "Dernier made them. I put some in the engine room too."

"We're blowing the submarine up?"

Steve started placing the explosives around the room. "_I _am. You need to get out. Swim to the surface and row as fast as you can. Once you're clear, I'll set the explosives off."

"Wait, until _I'm_ clear? What about you?" Aspen asked.

"We don't have time to argue about this," Steve told her. "I'll get out."

"What if you don't make it?"

"Then you go back and you tell the Commandos what happened." He told her, blue eyes serious.

"No, that's not, just no! I am _not_ just leaving while you risk your life. Again!"

"Aspen, we don't have time for this! I can swim faster than you."

She glared at him. "I'm not leaving."

"Why are you being so stubborn?" he asked, eyes flashing angrily.

"Because I care about what happens to you!" she told him exasperatedly. "I don't want you to die, and I can't just leave you not knowing if you're okay!"

"I'll be fine, just-"

"No! You don't get to say that," she said stubbornly. "You don't know that you'll be fine."

"It's the risk I have to take." He placed the last explosive and turned to her. "Please, just go."

Aspen stood, torn, watching the desperation and frustration in his eyes. "Why is it always _you_ taking the risk?" she asked angrily. "Every time we take down some Hydra headquarters, every time we face the enemy and go into the unknown, I think, what if I never get the chance to say goodbye? What if I never get the chance to…" She stopped short.

"The chance to do what?" Steve asked, eyes narrowed.

"The chance to do this." Aspen eliminated the space between them in two strides and put two hands on his shoulders, shoving him none-to-gently against the wall. He stared at her in surprise, blue eyes wide. Then Aspen kissed him hard on the mouth, pouring her fear and confusion and feelings into the kiss as if this was the last thing she would ever do.

At first Steve's hands stayed clenched at his sides, and his lips were unyielding under hers. Then she felt him hesitantly put his hands on her waist. He tentatively kissed her back, and she let the kiss soften until he was fully kissing her back, hands tightening on her waist. She ran a hand down the front of his uniform, feeling the hard muscle underneath. The other hand ran up his neck and tangled in his blonde hair.

Finally she pulled away when they were both breathless, and she was sure she'd made her point. His eyes were brighter than usual, a little dazed looking. Aspen wasn't sure what to say, but she wasn't sure there was anything more _left_ to say.

"Together," she said finally, slipping her fingers through his own. "We're doing this together."

He just nodded. They made their way to the hatch they had come in through. "We have thirty seconds to get clear of the explosion," he told her. "I'll need to detonate them before we leave the submarine to get a clear signal."

She nodded. They slipped into the room they'd come in through. Aspen hurriedly put on her boots again. Steve looked at her, a different light in his eyes. "Ready?" She nodded. Steve took out a small device and pressed down on a red button. Then he grabbed her hand and helped her out of the hatch. She took a deep breath and swam toward the opening. Steve followed. When they reached open water, he put an arm around her waist and began to swim as quickly as he could. Aspen held her breath as they sped through the water. Finally when she thought her lungs would burst, he headed upwards. That was when the submarine exploded. The fiery burst beneath the water was a strange sight. Rubble came flying toward them, moving slowly in the thick sea. Their head's broke the surface, and Aspen gulped in the cool air. They tread water and watched as the explosion reached up out of the surface of the water.

Aspen steadied herself with a hand on Steve's shoulder. "We did it," she said with a smile.

"Yeah," he replied, matching her smile. "_We_ did."

…

The swim back to the shore wasn't as bad as Aspen imagined it. Steve was a strong enough swimmer that he could pull her along with him. She was feeling drained by then, feebly kicking out her legs to feel like she was doing something. She would have berated Steve for not letting her help, but she was too tired to muster an argument.

When they came within view of the shore, the Howling Commandos cheered them on. Aspen had a feeling she was in for a good talking to from Bucky, but right now she didn't care. As they reached the shallow water, she stood, clothes waterlogged and heavy. They made their way up the sandy beach to where the Commandos stood. Aspen carefully met Bucky's eyes. He scowled at her.

"What did you think you were doing?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Hold on," Steve interrupted Aspen's retort. "She was only trying to help."

"She could have gotten herself or you killed," Bucky said.

"Relax, the mission went smoothly," Steve told him. "Well, for the most part." He cast Aspen a small smile.

"You both had me worried is all," Bucky amended. "No more pulling stunts like that," he added, looking at Aspen.

"Alright, fine," she agreed. "It was a pretty dumb idea. At least I found the submarine."

"You got lucky. Better dry off before you catch cold."

…

Steve pushed out of his tent later that night after they'd celebrated their victory and told the details of the sinking. Well, _some_ of the details. They had left out their argument and their kiss. The kiss he couldn't stop thinking about. It was one of those memories that seemed so unlikely that he could almost convince himself that it hadn't happened. He hadn't realized Aspen felt that way toward him until she had pushed him against the wall of the submarine and kissed him. His own feelings for her had been confusing him for months. Seeing Bucky kissing her seemed to have brought them out. He hoped that Bucky wouldn't think he was stealing his girl. Of course Bucky would never say anything – he was too good a friend – but Steve knew he had feelings for Aspen as well.

He walked down the beach, the sand soft under his boots. He found a long piece of driftwood to sit on a little ways from the dying embers of the fire. It was a good place to think, and he felt like he needed to think a lot of things out right now. After a moment he became aware of someone approaching. He tensed and turned to see who it was. His eyes softened when he saw that it was Aspen. She was dressed in pants and a loose white tunic, red curls falling freely around her shoulders. Her bare feet sunk into the sand as she stood a few feet away. Somehow she'd never looked so beautiful with the light of the dying fire behind her and her eyes reflecting the sea before them.

There was something vulnerable and unsure inside of Steve that made him feel nervous. He wasn't sure what to say or do. He stood and looked down at her, cheeks warming as his thoughts went back to the submarine. Aspen turned her gaze to the sea, watching the dark waves move languidly under the moonlight.

"It's so peaceful," she said softly. "So calm. It's hard to believe there's a war going on out there somewhere."

"If there's one thing I've learned in this war, it's that you have to appreciate these moments when they come because they don't last long. They're a reminder that there is some peace in the world though. That there's something worth fighting for," he said thoughtfully.

"One day we'll get to enjoy what we've fought for without fear of Hydra or the Nazis or any of the countless other crazy people out there trying to destroy the world."

"What will you do when the war is over?" Steve asked her.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "I'm not sure I can go back to reporting on house fires and bank robberies. Not after this."

"I don't blame you."

"What about you?" She turned her eyes back to him. "I mean, it's different for you. You're already a legend."

"Doesn't mean it makes it easy."

"Of course not."

He looked down at the sand, scuffing it with his boot. "There are so many expectations…so many people who think they know who I am or who I should be." He looked up at her. "That's a lot of pressure." The people saw Captain America as a war hero but would there be a place for him when the war was over? Could he ever go back to being just Steve Rogers?

"It is, but Steve, all you ever have to be is yourself."

"And if that's not enough?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"If anyone tells you that Steve Rogers isn't good enough then they aren't worth your time," she said firmly.

He gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

"I mean it, Steve. You're one of the most incredible people I know, and I would have said that before we ever went off to war. Whatever I do after this war, I…I can't see myself doing it without you," she said, looking nervously up at him, "because I can't really see a life without you. Not a happy one anyway." He looked down at her in surprise. He hadn't expected her to be so candid. _I can't really see a life without you_. Could he see a life without her? He realized that he'd become so used to her presence that his life would feel rather empty with her missing.

He took a step toward her and shook his head. "I've never met a girl like you, Aspen," he said. "Most girls just looked straight through me, but you saw me. You always have." He took another step forward so that he was standing right in front of her. His heart was beating so loudly in his chest that he was sure she could hear it. She seemed to be holding her breath, waiting for him to move. He reached out, slowly, carefully, until he touched her cheek, cupping his hand around her jawline. Her skin was warm and soft under his hand. She watched him, holding very still. He brushed his thumb against her cheek, and she reached up to put a hand over his heart.

"Are you going to kiss me this time, or do I have to pin you up against a wall again?" she asked him softly.

He laughed nervously. "Just in case you had any…preconceived notions, I'm actually really…I mean, I don't…I don't really have experience at this…sort of thing." He blushed. Truth be told he'd never really kissed a girl before Aspen. Not like that. A peck on the lips didn't really inspire passion, but with her… He wanted to kiss her again.

"I don't either if it makes you feel any better," Aspen told him. "I was taught to knee a guy where it hurts if he tried anything when I was training to be a photojournalist. After awhile the boys just sort of ran in the opposite direction when they saw me coming." Steve cracked a smile at this. "And anyway, you just have to go with what feels right."

So he did. He brought his other hand up to cradle her head, and leaned down to brush his lips against hers. This kiss was nothing like the first. It was slower, sweeter. There was nothing rushed about it, nothing furious or fiery. He let himself sink into it, forgetting everything around him. Aspen's hand brushed his collar where his shirt exposed his neck, and her fingers felt cool against his skin. Her lips were so soft, and he couldn't believe he was kissing her.

When they pulled apart, Steve rested his forehead against hers, still holding her head in his hands. He never wanted this moment to end, never wanted to stop feeling the touch of her skin under his hands or her hand across his heart. For that moment it was just them and the soft sound of the waves dancing at their feet.

"It seems so strange feeling so happy when we're in the middle of fighting a war, but I can't help it," Aspen said.

"I know what you mean." He felt the same way. His heart felt like it had expanded to three times its size, and it wouldn't stop beating frantically.

Aspen pulled away so that she could look at him, and he let his hands rest on her shoulders. Her eyes were bright, even greener than usual if that was possible. "Do you believe in fate?" she asked him.

"I'm not sure," he said. "I think that everything is always changing because of peoples' actions and decisions. I'm not sure anything is set. The choices we make every day affect the future. Why do you ask?"

"Because we found each other again," Aspen said. "Miles from home in a war-ravaged land. And I don't believe in coincidences."

"I was always meant to find you, Aspen, and you were always meant to find me."

"Just like how you found Bucky when he most needed you."

Steve nodded, thinking back to when he had found Bucky strapped to one of Zola's tables repeating his experiment number over and over in a daze. He'd thought Steve was a hallucination. Aspen touched his arm. "Tomorrow we move to take down another enemy. We should get some sleep so we're ready." He knew she was right, but somehow he didn't want to leave her. She took a step back, and his hands fell to his sides. "Well, goodnight then," Aspen said. She took a pace away from him and the suddenly turned back, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him again. When they drew apart, she gave him a glowing smile before walking back to her tent. Steve watched her go before returning to his own tent. As he tried to fall asleep, he replayed the last few minutes over and over in his head feeling happier than he had in a long time.


	14. Experimentation

**November 15****th**** Northern France**

Aspen crouched down next to the pile of rubble that had once been a café. The white stone bricks, which had once shone pristine, were now dirty and cracked. Shattered china lay about the gutted insides of the building. The city lay silent, once filled with people and then filled with enemy soldiers and death and despair. The people had long since gone, but an enemy base still stood at the center of the city. The building they had taken up residence in was one of the few still standing, and Aspen was crouched across the street from it. She was waiting for Dugan's signal when they would close in on the two-story building, surround it, and take it down. It was an easy enough operation, one they had done many times over.

Aspen always found it hard to believe that the war had taken them so far. She had seen more of the world in the last few months than in her entire life and yet much of what she had seen was destruction. She had seen beautiful cities ravaged and torn apart, seen the bodies of innocent citizens scattered around the streets, seen the hate and the rage at hand. And yet as they moved through Europe taking down Hydra bases, Aspen felt a surge of hope. They could make a difference. They could end this. They had Captain America on their side after all.

A flash of a mirror signaled that it was time to move in. Aspen scanned the perimeter before taking a step forward. The sound of crunching glass caused her to pause. She realized with a jolt that there was someone in the gutted café behind her. She spun around in time to see a fist slam into her face. She stumbled backwards, and blackness consumed her.

…

"Where's Aspen?" Steve asked as he and the Howling Commandos gathered again after completing their mission.

Bucky frowned. "I thought she was with you."

"She's not inside. We searched it," Dugan reported. "I haven't seen her since before I sent the signal."

"Let's get this clear, has _anyone_ seen her since we started this mission?" Bucky asked.

They all shook their heads. "She was positioned just south of the headquarters near the café," Falsworth said.

"Alright, Bucky and I will see if something happened there. The rest of you fan out and search the surrounding buildings. Something must have happened."

As he and Bucky headed south toward the café, Steve felt a surge of panic. What had happened to Aspen? The city was all but abandoned, but there were a lot of places to hide. They found the café where Aspen had been waiting for the signal. It had been destroyed in the city's initial attack and only two walls still stood. The pile of rubble made it hard to search, but Bucky and Steve climbed over the bricks, searching for any signs of Aspen.

"Here!" Bucky called out and Steve ran over. Aspen's gun was lying in the pile of rubble, but there was no sign of Aspen. They searched the vicinity and then met the Howling Commandos back at the headquarters.

"No sign of her," Dugan reported.

"Nope," Morita said, shaking his head.

"We found her gun," Bucky told them.

"She wouldn't have dropped it. Someone must have taken her." Steve looked around, but the city lay silent. "We need to find her."

"We have no idea who took her or where she was taken."

"We need to find her," Steve insisted. "We need to search the rest of the city, see if we can find any clues to tell us where they took her."

"Of course we will," Bucky said, putting a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. "We'll find her."

…

Aspen opened her eyes, squinting against the harsh lights that pushed against her eyelids. She tried to move her arms and legs, but she couldn't. She turned her head and saw that her arms were strapped down. She moaned. Her head hurt where she had been hit, and her mouth was dry. Panic began to set in as she became aware of her surroundings. The harsh lights were on her like she was some sort of specimen, and the frigid air told her she was somewhere underground. She had been in France, about to go on a mission. Someone had been in the broken down café behind her, had punched her unconscious. She must have been taken. Steve and Bucky and the rest would be looking for her, but they wouldn't find her. Not if she was hidden underground. She struggled against her bonds again, but they didn't budge, and she gave up as a bead of sweat rolled down her face. She tried turning her head to look around, but everything outside of the bright lights was dim and shapeless. She couldn't tell if anyone was standing there, and her eyes burned with the spotlights that were now making her overly warm.

She waited for what seemed like hours, her heart beating out an irregular tempo as her nerves threatened to overwhelm her. She didn't know where she was, didn't know if Steve and the Howling Commandos were safe. What if she never saw them again? What if she never got to tell Steve how she felt about him? She shut her eyes and focused on his face, his smile, his eyes and the way they always lit up when he looked at her. She remembered the way his lips had felt on hers and how he had held her face in his hands. She began to calm down. She would get out of this whatever it was. She _would_ see him again, and when she did, she would tell him just how she felt every single time she looked at him. Her hands stopped trembling, and her heartbeat slowed. She let the hours pass with her mind on Steve and Steve alone, forcing the fear out and giving way to a hope that Steve inspired.

Finally she heard a heavy metal door open and footsteps. She kept calm, her eyes shut tight, and braced herself for the person to speak or do something. "Well, well, Captain America's girl. This is a pleasant surprise," German voice spoke from above her. "When I was told my men had retrieved one of Captain America's Invaders, I did not expect a pretty redhead. You don't have to pretend, we know you're awake."

Aspen opened her eyes and found herself looking up at a man with a pressed suit finished off with a golden Hydra pin. The suit did not hold her attention for long, however, because his face was something entirely monstrous that made Aspen want to shut her eyes tight again. In place of a face, he had a skull the color of blood. It was like wax, but something told Aspen it was entirely too real. His nose ended before it began, and his brow bones were harshly defined. She felt herself begin to tremble again, but forced herself to stay still.

"I would very much like to see the Captain's face when he realizes I've taken you. I imagine he thinks himself invincible, but he forgets that I too share his abilities. I too have the same serum running in my veins."

"You're Johann Schmidt," Aspen said aloud. "Red Skull."

"I see my reputation precedes me."

"I have heard about you," Aspen told him. "I saw your work in Denmark in Zemo's castle."

"Ah, yes, before the Captain destroyed it all. Zemo did not escape without scars. He thirsts for the Captain's blood."

"Seems like all you Hydras do. He's just fighting for his country and for the freedom of people who don't deserve your blood thirst."

"Blood thirst? You think that is what this is about?"

"You have a lot of blood on your hands. But I'm sure power has something to do with it too."

"Right now the world is in chaos. People vie for power every day. Why should I be turned into a villain when I am only seeking what is truly mine? I have the superior knowledge that could change the world. They know nothing. They blunder around thinking themselves superior, but they are mistaken."

"So you have a god complex? The world isn't meant to be conquered by the biggest bully. It's meant to be shared, guided. People are meant to be free."

"I see we are not going to agree. No matter. I was never interested in an alliance."

"Really?" Aspen rattled her bonds. "I never would have guessed. Your hospitality leaves something to be desired."

"Well, we will not neglect you for any longer. Doctor Zola?"

Another man entered the circle of light. He was shorter with spectacles that made his eyes look slightly buggy. He wore a white lab coat with a bow tie. Aspen knew that name. He had experimented on Bucky. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked.

"I'll leave you in the good doctor's hands. I have work to do," Red Skull said, leaving the circle of light.

Doctor Zola didn't answer Aspen's question, so she tried a new one. "You experimented on a friend of mine," she said. "Are you going to experiment on me too?"

"I have a friend with a very interesting compound he wants to try. He, unfortunately, could not be here to see the experiment firsthand."

"Zemo?"

"I'm afraid your Captain left him in a poor state. This compound, should it work, will help him recover."

"What does the compound do?" Aspen asked, forcing her panic back.

"Don't worry about that," he told her which only increased her worry.

"Why would you try it on me?"

"The first few subjects have had…complications, but we're confident this compound is better. If it doesn't work, then I'm afraid to think what the Captain will do when we deliver your body to him. I daresay it might put a dent in his hope."

Aspen knew struggling was useless as Zola pulled a syringe off of a metal table and prepped it. She refused to wince as he injected the clear liquid into her forearm. A strange sensation spread through her body. "This will take a few hours to take effect, and then we'll see if it is going to work."

He left her there as her body began to writhe from within as if her blood was boiling and freezing all at once. She shut her eyes as the pain set in. She tried to picture Steve's face but after a time, she couldn't block out the pain any longer, and she lost herself within it, unable to think of anything else.

…

"I'm sorry." Steve looked up at Bucky who hovered uncertainly behind him. Night had fallen by the time they all returned to the center of the city, none of them having had any luck in tracking Aspen or her captors. They'd decided to make camp there on the small chance that Aspen could somehow find them, but Steve knew they couldn't linger for long.

"Why would someone take her?" Steve asked, looking down at his hands.

"I don't know." Bucky sat down on the ruined bit of wall next to Steve.

"It's my fault."

"Why would you say that? Of course it isn't."

"It's the only thing that makes sense, Bucky. They took her because of me. To get back at me or something."

"You can't think that way, Steve. It'll tear you apart. We're gonna find her." Steve felt retched, but he nodded, letting his best friend do his best to comfort him. "Don't give up yet."

"I'm not. I would never give up on her."

"Something happened, didn't it?" Bucky asked. "Ever since the submarine, you've both been acting differently."

Steve and Aspen hadn't told anyone about their growing relationship. They'd agreed to take it slow, one step at a time. A stolen kiss here and there, a smile that spoke words they didn't say out loud. They'd been happy.

"She kissed me," Steve confessed. "On the sub before we took it down."

"Good girl. Did you kiss her back?"

"After I got over my initial surprise. She kind of shouted at me because she thought I was always putting myself in danger and then shoved me against a wall."

Bucky's eyes danced with laughter. "Now _that's _a girl who knows how to get what she wants. She'll be fine, Steve. Wherever she is. She's a fighter."

Steve nodded. "I know she is. I just hope she knows we're looking for her."

"Steve, Bucky!" Steve looked up to where Jones was calling their names. He was crouched next to a wireless radio. "We're picking up on something interesting," he said as Steve and Bucky approached. "It's a weak signal, but you can just make it out."

They listened quietly as the radio crackled and then cleared long enough for them to hear the words being said. "…message for Captain America…" A crisp German voice rang out. Steve tensed at the sound of the name. "…your girl…will be released…at your arrival." Bucky and Steve exchanged a glance. "…47.6400° N, 11.7700° E …" The radio signal cut out suddenly, giving into static. Steve stared at it for a long moment. No one spoke though Jones fiddled with the radio with no luck.

"They have her," Steve said finally. "Where are those coordinates?"

"The Bavarian Alps," Falsworth spoke up after a moment, his finger on a well-used map.

"Be ready to leave first thing tomorrow," Steve said. "We're going after her."

"You know it's a trap, right?" Bucky spoke up.

"I'm still going. You don't have to come with me. None of you. I wouldn't blame you."

"Oh, I'm coming with you," Bucky said. "I just wanted to make sure you knew it was a trap."

"We're all coming with you," Dugan said. "Aspen is one of us, and I'll be damned if I let those Hydra nuts lay their hands on her."

Steve looked around at the faces of the Howling Commandos. They were all willing to jump into danger to follow him. It was more loyalty than he ever could have hoped for. He felt a strong surge of pride. With a team like this, they would have Aspen back in no time.

…

When the fire in her veins finally burned down, Aspen opened her eyes and found that she felt normal again. Had the injection worked? She didn't feel any different. As if on cue Doctor Zola reentered the room. He smiled when he saw she was awake.

"Ah, good the compound seems to be working," he said. "How do you feel?"

"The same as before," Aspen said, narrowing her eyes. "How am I supposed to feel?"

"That's good. The compound was successful. You would know if it had not worked. Baron Zemo will be very pleased indeed."

"You still won't tell me what it does?" If it was something that would help heal Zemo, it couldn't be all that bad, but Aspen wanted nothing of his experimentations in her blood.

"It's not a concern of yours."

"What are you going to do with me?" Aspen asked.

"Why use you to the greatest advantage that we have – as a lure to Captain America."

"He's not stupid. He'll know it's a trap."

"Perhaps, but I think he will come nonetheless."

"You're a monster," Aspen spat. "What you did to Bucky…"

"Ah, yes, Sergeant Barnes. He was a difficult subject, but he seems to be doing just fine at the side of his friend. I do wonder what I could have achieved had he not been rescued."

"You will never get your hands on him again."

"You've got so much fight in you, but it is a waste of energy." Zola was reaching for a syringe. He approached her, and she tried to struggle, but the straps kept her down. "Just a sedative," he said as he pushed the needle into her arm. "Something to calm you down."

Her vision began to blur a moment later, and she was vaguely aware of someone undoing her bonds and lifting her. "He will come for her," Zola said to someone.

Aspen opened her eyes slightly, but they would go no further. She caught the glint of a monocle and then her eyes slid shut again. "I'll be ready for him," the voice said from above Aspen. She felt someone move and realized she was being carried. Before she could wonder where, her head fell slack, and she slipped into dreams of blackness.


	15. Rescue Mission

**Author's Note: **Here were are so close to the end already! This story is a lot shorter than my others, but I wanted it to be that way. I really hope you are enjoying reading it! I had such a fun time writing it. I will be posting a collection of shorts that takes place between my _A Game of Enemies_ and A _Game of Winter_ stories. It will fill in the time between the two and establish some things before _A Game of Winter. _It also includes some random scenes like Steve and Aspen meeting for the first time from his point of view, etc. I'm slowing working on that. Hopefully I'll get the first short posted soon.

Thank you for favorites and follows! It means a lot to me!

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><p><strong>November 18<strong>**th**** Bavarian Alps**

"Just get me close enough, and I'll go in on foot," Steve instructed Howard Stark, nearly shouting above the noise of the plane.

"You sure? It's pretty rugged out here. Do you even know where you're going?"

"There." Steve pointed out the front window of the plane as a tower came into view. It was at the very edge of the mountains, built just where the foothills started to rise. It wasn't a castle, just a tower with a small base attached. "That's where she is."

Steve adjusted his parachute, tightening the strap across his chest and making sure his shield was firmly on his left arm.

"This is close enough," Steve called out to Howard. "I'll radio you when I have her."

He prepared himself for the drop and jumped, landing in the frosty grasslands before the mountains. Steve could feel the chill creeping up his spine, but he pushed the feeling aside, heading up toward the claws of the mountains. It had been planned that the Howling Commandos would come with him, but the situation in Munich had grown violent, and they'd been waylaid there, working with the Army to drive out the Hydra and Nazi soldiers. Bucky had insisted on coming, but Steve had told him that he stood a better chance if he was alone. In truth he hadn't wanted to see Bucky get hurt. Aspen had already been kidnapped to lure him here. He didn't need a second friend getting hurt because of him.

It was a misty sort of day where the air was white and swirled around in misty clouds when disturbed. It only took a few minutes for the moisture to soak into Steve's uniform, making him shiver. Condensation gathered on the surface of his shield, running down in rivulets when it warmed. When the mist finally broke, he found himself at the base of the mountains, looking up at the tower. The tower was surrounded by an outcropping of pine trees, Steve realized, which would help him stay under cover. There was a layer of snow on the ground which both muffled his footfalls and left fresh prints. He forged ahead, his chest tightening with anxiety. He wasn't sure who had taken her, but he knew that only a few people were aware of Aspen. Zemo was one of them. He would have passed on any information he thought to be useful to anyone he was working with. Aspen had helped take down his castle after all. As he reached the tower, Steve craned his neck to look up. A single light flickered from the top of the tower. That was where Aspen was, he was sure. He eyed the front doors. If it was a trap, they would be expecting him to find a way to sneak in. That was why he was going to take the front doors.

…

The interior of the tower was cold and empty, the stone walls giving off waves of cool air. Some of the windows whistled as he passed as the oncoming winter pushed its way in. Treading softly, he came to a set of spiral stairs that were built into the wall. They were narrow, but he began the ascent. He kept his senses on alert, ready for anything, but the tower was so quiet that he could hear the oncoming snowstorm outside. He hoped that Howard would be alright in his plane. He was going to find a safe spot to land and pick them up when they radioed in.

He reached the top of the stairs and came out on a round platform near the top of the tower. Windows surrounded him, and he could see that the storm had picked up. Snow swirled around in torrents making visibility impossible. A door was open to his right, and he entered cautiously taking note of the bare room. A single chair sat near a lit fireplace, and he saw a figure slumped in the chair, blankets heaped over her lap.

"Aspen." He scanned the room for any signs of a trap but could see nothing. He moved to Aspen's side and touched her cheek, fearing the worst. Her skin was warm to the touch, though, and she stirred, opening her green eyes. They widened when she saw Steve.

"Steve," she said softly. "I've never been more glad to see you, but this was set up."

"I know. I know it's probably a trap, but I wasn't going to leave you. I could never just leave you." She leaned into his hand, closing her eyes.

"I've thought of you every day," she told him. "It's what kept me going."

"What did they do to you?" he asked. "Who took you?"

Aspen opened her eyes. "Zola and Red Skull." Steve's blue eyes hardened. "Zola, he…injected me with something."

Horror filled his being. "What did he inject you with?" he asked, trying to keep back the fury he felt.

"I'm not sure. He wouldn't tell me. Something that would help heal Zemo. I don't think it will harm me, but I don't know what it does."

"I will never let him touch you again," Steve told her. Aspen kissed his palm and then took his hand in hers.

"I'm alright."

"Where is he?" Steve asked. He was practically trembling with rage.

"Not here, I don't think. I'm not sure where we are. They drugged me, and I only just woke up. But I know they meant to trap you. Are the others here?"

Steve shook his head. "Let's get you out of here. I can handle anyone who tries to stop us."

Aspen nodded and before she could get up, Steve scooped her up, blankets and all. She looped her arm around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder. "How did you get here?" Aspen asked when she saw the snow out the windows.

"Howard Stark. I'm not sure how we'll be getting out of here though. I don't think he could fly in this weather."

"We'll find a way." She sounded sleepy, and Steve wanted nothing more than to get her to safety. He turned toward the stairs but found the way blocked by a man with a heavily scared face. A monocle glinted on one eye, and a red gauntlet sizzled with some sort of electrical force as the man clenched it at his side.

"Captain America," he said. The Hydra band on his arm confirmed that he was not a friend. "We have not had the pleasure of meeting though I have heard accounts from my dear friends Zemo and Herr Skull. You will be glad to hear that Zemo is doing much better thanks to the success of his compound."

"What did you inject her with?" Steve asked.

"Not me, but Doctor Zola. Don't worry. It will not harm her. In fact, I'm perfectly fine with letting her go. You are the one I wanted to see."

"Well, I'm here now." Steve carefully placed Aspen on her feet. "Let her go." Aspen looked up at him, and he could see the argument building on her lips. "Aspen-"

She shook her head and moved back next to the fireplace. The man chuckled. "Stubborn one," he said.

"Look-" Steve realized he didn't know the man's name.

"Baron von Strucker," the man said giving him an exaggerated bow. "Curious how a legend can be built up to resemble a god when he is simply a man."

"I've never claimed to be otherwise," Steve said, narrowing his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Simply for you to be dead. You have been a great hindrance to Herr Skull wreaking havoc on his cause. You and your, what do you call them? Howling Commandos? I didn't think someone like you needed people to fight his war for him, but you seem not to mind your friends getting hurt." Steve knew he was trying to wind him up and, much as he hated to admit it, it was working. Right now he was still furious about Aspen's kidnapping and the experimentation that had been done on her. He didn't care if Von Strucker hadn't put the needle in himself. He was still Hydra and therefore still at fault.

"I'm here alone right now, aren't I?"

"Then let us see just who is stronger. The might of Hydra or a self-proclaimed hero who hides behind his shield."

Steve was getting tired of people accusing him of hiding behind his shield. He set it aside and faced Strucker. "I'm not hiding behind it now," he said. Instead of waiting for Strucker to move, he thrust his fist at the man. Von Strucker braced himself and blocked the blow. Steve kicked at his knee, sending Strucker down. The Hydra agent moved quickly aside as Steve struck out again, and Steve whirled to face him as he got to his feet. Strucker's form was excellent, and Steve could tell that he'd been trained to fight. Steve less so. He had trained in Camp Lehigh, of course, but he had never excelled pre-serum. Afterwards he'd been thrust into the war without really knowing what he was doing. Experience and time on the front had taught him how to fight and how to survive, but the intricacies of a well-trained fighter were yet unknown to him. Strucker managed a blow to the side of Steve's head, leaving his ears ringing. Steve struck back, knocking Strucker back a few paces and drawing blood on his lip. Strucker wiped the blood away and then came at Steve so quickly that he barely managed to block the blows. At one point he grabbed the gauntlet, twisting Strucker's arm back. Suddenly an electrical shock travelled up Steve's arm. He yelped and let go of Strucker's arm, eyeing the red gauntlet. It now surged with a menacing electricity.

"So I hide behind my shield, but it's alright for you to hide behind your gauntlet?" Steve asked.

Strucker gave a noncommittal shrug. "Merely an extension of my arm." Steve had started thinking of his shield as the same. He didn't appreciate having something in common with Strucker. "In fact, it does a lot more than that." Strucker jabbed his arm out. Steve jumped out of reach, but even still an electrical force streamed out of the gauntlet, catching him full on in the chest. He stumbled back, every inch of his body stinging painfully.

"Not so untouchable as you think," Strucker said. "An electrical force like this could stop a man's heart. Even, I dare say, a Super Soldier." He moved to strike again, and Steve rolled out of the way. The electrical force hit the wall, leaving a smoking black hole.

"Steve!" Aspen was holding his shield and threw it to him just as Strucker sent another electrical blast. Steve raised his shield just in time, and the force was sent flying back at Strucker. It hit in square in the chest, and he flew back to land on the floor, moaning.

"Enough," Steve told him.

Strucker struggled to his feet, a smile on his face. His lip was bleeding again, but he didn't bother to wipe it away. "Giving up? Hydra doesn't back down from a fight."

"Nor do I." He readjusted his shield, readying himself. As Strucker struck out, Steve charged him, shield slamming into Strucker's chest. An electrical current carried through the metal, and Steve forced himself to ignore the pain. He heaved forward with all his force, and Strucker flew backwards again, this time hitting one of the windows. Steve saw the look of surprise on his face before he vanished out the window. He stumbled toward the window and looked out. It was hard to see through the snow, and night had fallen, but he thought he could make out a dark shape in the snow below.

"Is he gone?" Aspen asked quietly. She was huddled next to the fire looking pale.

Steve slid his shield onto his back and moved over to her, kneeling beside her. "Yeah, he's gone," he said.

…

Aspen leaned on Steve as they took the spiral stairs down. She was feeling so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open and knew it was the residual effect of the drug they had given her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten or drunk anything. Steve opened the front doors of the building, but the snow outside forced him to shut them again. A layer of snow lay scattered on the floor where it had blown in. "We're not getting anywhere in this storm," he said. He pulled out his radio, but the storm had messed with the signal, and he couldn't get it to work.

Aspen slid down the wall until she was sitting. "We're stuck here," she said hopelessly. She felt as if she might pass out, a feeling she hated but hunger had made her weak. "I don't suppose you brought something to eat." She looked up at him hopefully.

"I might have something." He reached into a messenger back he had across his shoulders. "Here." He handed her a chunk of bread. It was a little hard, but she didn't care. "I packed some food in case something happened, but it's not much. I have some water too if you're thirsty."

Aspen was shivering right now. The drafty hall of the building was no place to keep warm. "Too bad we ruined that window in the room with the fireplace. I bet the fire went out by now," she said.

"You're right." Steve looked around. "Maybe we can repair the window."

Aspen couldn't muster the energy to answer. She wrapped the blanket she had taken with her around her shoulders more tightly and shivered. The roll hadn't filled her, and she was beginning to feel ill. "Aspen?" she heard Steve's voice, but she was already sinking into oblivion.

When Aspen awoke again, she was warm. She opened her eyes and found that she was lying in the chair she had woken up in before. The draft was gone, and she saw that the window had been boarded over. "You're awake." Steve was standing in front of the fire. His hair was slightly damp from the snow, and he looked exhausted.

"You repaired the window. Is there anything you can't do?" she asked sleepily.

"Finish a rescue mission apparently," he said wryly. "We're going to be stuck here for awhile."

"Where are we exactly?" she asked. It was the first time it had crossed her mind. She had no idea where she was though she was willing to bet somewhere cold.

"The Bavarian Alps. They sent out a radio message to tell me you were here. I guess they thought Strucker could handle me."

"Apparently they thought wrong. Did he hurt you?"

Steve started to shake his head, but then seemed to think better of it. "It did hurt a bit," he said. "But it was worth it."

"Thank you," Aspen told him, "for rescuing me. I was hoping you would but I felt selfish because I knew it would be a trap."

"It's not selfish. You know I would come for you no matter what." He came over and knelt next to the chair. The fire reflected in his blue eyes as he looked at her. "I will never leave you behind."

Aspen reached out and touched his face. "Do you ever wish that this war had never happened? That we had stayed in New York, gone dancing, been happy?"

"I thought you didn't dance."

"I just said that to stop Bucky from asking," Aspen said with a grin. "Now I feel kind of bad about that."

"Would it have been possible?" Steve asked, eyes sad. "We lived such different lives."

"You mean would I have gone out with a boy who was smaller than most? A boy who got beaten up for standing up for what was right? You're asking if I would have given pre-serum Steve a chance."

"That's not what I meant…" He blushed.

"It is. It's okay. The thing about unremarkable people is that they always have a way of being remarkable after all if you take the time to let them show you. You showed me how remarkable you were with your unwavering determination. I just couldn't stop thinking about you from the moment you looked at me with those bright blue eyes."

He smiled, looking shyly down at his hands, his long lashes obscuring his eyes. "No one has ever said anything like that to me before," he said finally. "After I became Captain America, the girls were suddenly flocking to get a photograph with me or to get my autograph. For a time it felt good to finally be noticed. It was so fake though. They didn't really know me."

"It's a scary world out there. The war isn't even half of it."

"Yeah, you're probably right." He looked up at her, eyes warm. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather be trapped in a snowstorm with," he told her.

She grinned at this. "I don't suppose you have anything else to eat?" Steve pulled an apple out of his bag and handed it to her. Aspen bit into it eagerly. "Since there's only one chair, we might as well share it," she said. "We'll be warmer." She got up and motioned for him to sit down. It wasn't a large chair, but once he was seated, she curled up in his lap, pulling the blankets over both of them and finished her apple. She was feeling sleepy again, but her nausea had passed, and she realized she was feeling quite happy being trapped in a snowstorm with Steve. For once they didn't have anywhere to be. They were just waiting the storm out, and it was nice to simply be in his company.

"Do you think the storm will let up tomorrow?" Aspen asked, gazing up at the ceiling. She could hear it raging outside. Steve looked down at her.

"I hope so."

"Still, this isn't a horrible way to spend the night," she said. His eyes searched her face, and she could see an array of emotions behind them – fear, anxiety, desire, happiness. She could tell he wanted to kiss her, but he didn't know if he should or not. She put an arm around the back of his neck, and brought herself closer to him so that their faces were only a foot away. She wanted him to kiss her this time, and so she waited, watching him get the nerve up to kiss her. When he finally did, it was soft and sweet, a whisper against her lips. She kissed him softly back, smiling against his lips. He slid an arm around her waist, and his hand was warm. The kiss grew deeper, and Aspen let him push his own boundaries. There was a sort of desperation to it as if he thought this would be their last kiss. Or maybe it was because it wasn't their last.

The room seemed to grow even warmer, and Steve finally broke away, cheeks flushed, pupils larger than usual. Aspen didn't want to stop kissing him though. She pulled him closer again, tangling her fingers in the short hair at the back of his head. He gave in, leaning into her. She realized her shirt had pulled up when his fingers met with her bare skin. She shivered, but didn't mind at all as he rested his hand on her back. Pressed up against him she forgot the cold altogether. When they pulled apart again, they were both out of breath, and Aspen felt flushed. Steve took his hand off of her back and replaced it over her shirt in a gesture so respectful that it made Aspen smile. She curled up so that her head was nestled under his chin, and he put both arms around her.

"When I joined the war, I knew what I would lose, but I never considered what I would find," Aspen said. "While we're trapped here, there's something I want to say." She pulled her head away and looked him in the eye. "When I was captured the thing that kept going through my mind the most was 'what if I never get to say goodbye? What if I never get to tell him how I really feel?' So now I'm going to say it. You don't have to say anything back. I don't expect anything, but I want you to know this. I love you, Steve Rogers, and somehow when I met you in New York a part of me knew it was inevitable."

Steve's expression was unreadable but then he leaned forward and kissed her softly. "I feel the same way," he said. "I just didn't know how to say it." Aspen smiled at him expectantly. "I love you, Aspen," he said, leaning his head against hers. "After this is all over we should go on an actual date."

"You mean one that doesn't involved taking down Hydra bases? Sure." She readjusted herself so that she was comfortable, and Steve leaned back in the chair. The fire was making her drowsy and a moment later she drifted off, the storm raging around them forgotten.

**November 19****th**** 107****th**** Infantry camp**

Aspen had hardly set foot in the 107th Infantry camp when Lucy came running toward her, throwing her arms around her and squeezing her tight. "I thought I would never see you again!" she sobbed into Aspen's shoulder.

"I'm alright, Lucy," Aspen assured her, patting her on the back. "Steve came to my rescue."

"Well, Tolvar, you had us worried." Aspen looked up to see Bucky giving her a stern look. The moment her eyes met his, however, his face broke out into a smile. After Lucy had released her, Aspen wrapped herself in Bucky's warm embrace.

"Missed you too."

It brought tears to Aspen's eyes as the other Howling Commandos greeted her, expressing their gladness that she was alright and their regrets that they couldn't have come to her rescue themselves. Howard Stark had managed to come back the next morning when the storm had let up to rescue Steve and Aspen. They'd looked for Strucker's body before they'd left, but either the snow had covered him completely or he was gone. The thought that he could still be alive unsettled them both, but they'd tried to push it from their minds. For now they were safe until their next mission that would take them into dangerous territory. Aspen wished they could freeze time and simply enjoy being together, but time moved on, and they continued their battle against Hydra. She'd learned that the price of freedom was high, but she was willing to fight for it. Until then she hadn't really learned the meaning of sacrifice, but war has a way of cutting you to the heart and stealing away things that were not meant to be lost. As winter rolled to an end, the winds of change began to tug them forward, and they would soon learn the true meaning of sacrifice.


	16. What Makes a Hero

**Author's Note: **Wow, I'm still reeling from all the Marvel stuff that got revealed yesterday. Total overload of emotions going on.

Anyway, we have come to the last chapter. Thank you so much for reading! I very much appreciate the favorites and follows. Thank you for the wonderful comments as well! They brought a smile to my face. (And yes, I was blushing like a kettle too when I wrote that scene!) I actually cried when I wrote the ending of this chapter, so I'm interested to hear your guys' reactions. There is an epilogue to follow. I promise I won't leave it hanging like this.

PS - Do you guys have Netflix? You have GOT to watch Avengers Assemble - funniest flipping cartoon ever.

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><p><strong>May 4<strong>**th ****Ally Base London **

"I don't like the plan," Aspen said, following Steve toward where Howard Stark's plane was ready to carry them to France. There they would meet with U.S. forces and attack the Hydra base located in the Swiss Alps. According to Zola, Schmidt was about to launch several missiles that would take out the Eastern coast of the U.S. if they didn't stop them first. Steve, however, was going in alone before the others arrived.

"I know you don't, but this is going to work. Everyone will be right behind me."

"Too much could go wrong. How do you know we'll get to you in time?"

"Come on, I trust you and all the Invaders with my life. You'll get there in time," he assured her. "This will be over before you know it."

Aspen let him kiss her cheek before he moved to get onto the plane. "Come on, move it, Tolvar," Colonel Phillips said crossly. Aspen hurried to board the plane, seating herself between Steve and a woman he'd introduced as Peggy Carter. The dark-haired agent gave her a smile as Stark started the plane up, readying for take off.

"We should make France in three hours if the winds are in our favor," Stark said.

Aspen rested her head on Steve's shoulder and let herself drift off as they gained altitude. Lately she'd been having nightmares about Zola's experimentations and now was no different. Sometimes Bucky would be strapped beside her, and she would have to watch as he was injected with different liquids and tortured. Then Zola turned to her. Sometimes it would be Strucker with his monocle and scarred face, other times Red Skull like something pulled out of hell. Other times it was a faceless entity she couldn't really see. Either way, she woke up when the pain started in her dream.

"Are you alright?" Steve asked her. He looked nervous, but he turned his concern to her.

"Nightmare," she said shortly. She didn't want to talk about it. Didn't want him to know she'd been dreaming of Bucky being tortured. Steve was already tortured enough without remembering what his best friend had gone through.

"It'll be over soon," he said, entwining his gloved fingers with hers.

Aspen wasn't so sure the nightmares would end after that, but she didn't say that aloud. Instead she rested her head against his shoulder again though she didn't fall asleep for the rest of the flight.

…

Steve stood beside the special Stark-designed motorcycle, strapping on his helmet and making sure his shield was secured to his back. "You will be careful, won't you?" Aspen asked.

He turned to her. "Of course. You too."

"I'm scared," she said suddenly. He came forward and took her head in his hands.

"Hey, we're gonna make it out of this," he said.

"How can you know that?" she asked, a tear leaking out of the corner of her eye.

"Because," Steve said, wiping the tear away, "I have the best reason to come back." He looked down for a moment, looking suddenly nervous. "Aspen, there's something I've been wanting to ask you. Something…well, under normal circumstances, I wouldn't ask so soon. I just…it seems like this is the best time. I just want you to know that I'll always come back for you."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, smiling through her tears. He sometimes still struggled with the right words when he got nervous, but she didn't see what he had to be nervous about right now other than infiltrating Red Skull's base.

"Aspen," he said, finally looking her in the eye. "When this is all over, when we're back home in New York and our lives are finally back to normal, will you marry me?"

Aspen stared at him for a moment, the words not registering in her brain. Steve looked so nervous that he might be sick. "You're…you're serious?" she asked. Of course he was serious, Steve didn't joke.

"Yeah, I am. I can't imagine a life without you anymore, Aspen. I want to make this promise to you. I don't have a ring, just my word."

Aspen threw her arms around him and kissed him. She didn't care who saw. She was too happy. When she pulled away, Steve was looking a little dazzled.

"Was that a 'yes'?" he asked.

"Yes, of course it was, of course I'll marry you." She pulled him close. "Now you _have_ to come back."

"I'll see you when this is over." He kissed her again before pulling away and getting on the motorcycle. He gave her one last smile before revving the engine and taking off. Aspen watched him go, hope and happiness flooding her being.

"Get ready to move in," Phillips said to his men.

"Are you ready?" Agent Carter asked, coming up behind Aspen. She wore pants like Aspen and held a large gun.

"I'm ready," Aspen said, giving her a brave smile.

"He'll be alright," she told Aspen. "If anyone can defeat Hydra and Schmidt it's him."

"Well, he's got the best backup he could ever hope for," Aspen said.

"Move out!" Phillips shouted. Aspen and Peggy exchanged a look and then started after Phillips, walking side by side. Whatever happened today, this was going to end. It was time for Schmidt to go back to whatever hell he'd come from. Today the Allies would have a victory.

…

They burst into the Hydra base with guns blazing. Aspen had seen Hydra guns at work before, but it still unsettled her how a soldier could be running straight ahead of her one moment and suddenly disintegrate before her eyes the next. She and Peggy ran side-by-side, dodging the bullets and making it safely inside the base. Aspen had never felt so frightened as she did then. It occurred to her that she could lose her life in a second and never know if the war was won. Determination kept her strong though, and she managed to avoid the Hydra bullets. She wished she knew if Steve was safe, but a moment later she and Peggy found him. Peggy shot down a Hydra machine that shot fire from its arms, saving Steve from the flames.

Aspen shot Steve a smile that he returned before running after Red Skull. Aspen headed down the hallway, keen on finding Zola's research room. If she could find some information on what he had injected her with, she wouldn't have to spend the rest of her life worrying about it. It took her several tries to find the lab, but finally she entered the partially destroyed room where the Howling Commandos had zip-lined in through the now broken windows. Several Hydra soldiers lay dead on the floor. Aspen stepped over the bodies and started looking through Zola's files. Fortunately for her, Zola was methodical and all his folders were carefully labeled, but she had no idea what she was looking for. He'd called it a 'compound' but that wasn't very specific. She turned around when something caught her eye. A folder labeled 'Compound X' lay under a layer of shattered glass. She reached a hand toward it.

"That does not belong to you." Aspen jumped as someone spoke from the doorway. She looked up to see a tall figure standing there. He wore a purple veil over his face, and she recognized him immediately.

"Zemo."

"I must thank you for being the recipient of my compound. It was comforting to know that it had worked."

"Glad I could be your lab rat," Aspen spat. She grabbed the folder. "What was I injected with?"

"Something that really doesn't suit you," Zemo said with a growl. He moved toward her, and she backed away, clutching the folder to her. Zemo's boots crunched over the broken glass on the floor. "It may have helped heal me, but I still bear the scars you and your hero inflicted." He stopped and pulled up the veil. Aspen recoiled at the sight of the scars underneath. "It will never fully heal."

"It was your own work. Something you created for destructive purposes. You got what you deserved," Aspen told him.

"You think so? Well, I would be only too glad to return the favor." He began tipping over beakers, spilling liquid over the floor.

"What are you doing?" Aspen asked. She had backed into a wall.

Zemo pulled out a lighter. "You will feel the fire too. If I can defeat Captain America in some small way, then this is it." He dropped the lighter.

Aspen watched in horror as the fire instantly ignited the chemicals that Zemo had spilled on the floor. She looked for an escape and darted to the right before the flames reached the wall. Zemo was suddenly on her, grabbing the folder and ripping it from her grasp. "Give that back!" Aspen reached for it, but Zemo kicked her, sending her flying across the room. She hit a piece of equipment and stars flashed before her eyes, but she shook her head clear. She needed to escape the room before the flames consumed it. Her eyes darted to the door. Zemo was walking toward her again, purple veil flapping ominously over his face. The flames had taken half of the laboratory, but Zemo seemed unconcerned. Aspen struggled to her feet and ran for the door. She was nearly there when Zemo caught up to her, grabbing her arm and yanking her back with enough force to bruise. Aspen cried out in pain, grappling against him. She reached out a hand behind her looking for a weapon. Her gun had disappeared somewhere in the struggle. Her hand wrapped around a microscope. With a heave, she lifted the piece of equipment and swung it at Zemo's head. She heard a crack where it hit him, and he crumpled to the floor. Aspen dropped the heavy piece of equipment. She looked around for Zemo's notes on Compound X, but everything was on fire. She saw a scrap of paper that was partially undamaged and shoved it in her pocket before running from the room. Something must have mixed wrong because a moment later the room exploded with a force that sent her flying to the floor.

She shook her head dazedly as bits of ash and stone rained down on her. She pulled out the scrap of paper she had worked so hard to get but all that was on it was a list of ingredients that was incomplete. She let it fall to the floor. She'd wasted enough time. She needed to find Steve.

She started running, unsteadily at first. Her arm ached, but she forced herself to keep going. She found the doors Steve had gone through and found herself in a long hangar. Hydra soldiers lay strewn around the floor. Aspen saw Peggy and Colonel Phillips getting out of a long convertible. They both looked grim, and Aspen faltered. Peggy caught sight of her and came over.

"Steve is okay," she told Aspen. "He's on Schmidt's plane. He's going to try to stop the missiles from launching."

Aspen looked down the runway, but she had missed him. A hollowness filled her along with the fear that she would never see him again. "He's gone? I've got to get to him. Help him. Something." She felt useless standing there.

"There's nothing we can do," Peggy told her, putting a hand on her arm. "He can handle Schmidt."

Aspen was torn. She knew Steve could handle it, but that was just it – he didn't have to handle it alone. Her eyes caught sight of a small Hydra jet. "Even still," she said. "I have to try." She started toward the jet.

"Do you even know how to fly?" Peggy called after her.

"No, but I'm a fast learner. I've been in Stark's plane a few times." She opened the top and slipped in.

"At least put on a parachute," Peggy called to her. Aspen found one stowed in the jet and strapped into it. The controls were beyond her understanding, but she figured out how to start the engine.

"Is she crazy?" Colonel Phillips asked Peggy.

"No," Peggy replied, giving Aspen a smile. "She's a hero."

Aspen closed the top of the jet and pressed another button that sent the jet moving forward. She figured out how to steer as the jet gained speed. Then she burst into open skies, and she was flying.

…

It was the craziest thing Aspen had ever done, but doing something for love didn't seem so crazy when you thought about it. Steve always thought he needed to handle everything himself. He didn't want anyone else getting hurt so he put himself at risk. Aspen wasn't about to let him do that again. Steve might be strong, a hero, but he still needed protecting and now that Bucky was gone, the duty fell to Aspen.

It didn't take long to catch sight of Schmidt's plane. It was a huge, beast of a plane that reflected silver in the sunlight that glinted through the clouds. Aspen pushed a knob to make the jet go faster. She found that flying the plane wasn't too difficult, but as she neared her target, she realized she had no idea how to board it. She could hardly jump out and onto it nor could she land the jet. Her answer came when she noticed a hole in the back of the plane as if something had crashed into it. She angled the jet in and tried to line it up with the hole. The jet was much smaller and managed to fit in. She slid to a grating stop and hastily opened the hatch. She was in what appeared to be a hangar for the missiles that were waiting to be dropped. One read New York, another Chicago, and another Boston. Aspen didn't understand the sick idea behind taking out innocent people, but then again she was pretty sure Johann Schmidt was insane. He'd immersed himself so much with his occult studies that he had lost touch with reality. The frightening part was that he had the resources to fulfill some of his dreams at the cost of many lives.

Aspen saw that Steve had been through here. A few Hydra agents lay either dead or unconscious around her. As she took a step forward the plane suddenly lurched, and she found herself slipping and falling. The jet lurched too and, as the plane went vertical, it slid straight at her. Aspen swung out of the way just as the grating metal slid over where she had been lying a second before. Aspen clung to the metal rail, terrified that something horrible had happened. Then the plane suddenly leveled, and Aspen got her footing. She found her way out of the hangar, skirting around the wreck of her jet, and found herself in a corridor that led into the main part of the ship. When she finally reached her destination, she found herself on the control deck. It appeared to be empty at first. She caught sight of the broken window at the front of the plane and began to panic. Then she saw that someone was seated in the pilot's chair. The familiar flash of the red, white, and blue uniform assured her that Steve was still alive. Red Skull was nowhere to be seen.

"Steve?"

Steve whirled around, eyes widening when he saw Aspen. He had removed his helmet and his usually neat hair was messy. His lip was cut, and he looked exhausted. "Aspen…how…?"

"I flew a Hydra jet here. I know you always want to handle everything alone, but you don't have to."

"Aspen, you don't understand…" He ran a hand distractedly through his hair.

"Where's Red Skull?" She looked down at a hole burned into the grating on the floor.

"Gone. He held the Tesseract, and it killed him and sent his body somewhere else. But Aspen, you can't be here. There isn't going to be a safe landing. If I don't take this plane down, a lot of people are going to die. We're over the arctic right now. It's the perfect place for it. No one will get hurt, but you have to get off the plane now."

"You mean _we_. We have to get off the plane."

Steve gave her a long look. "No, Aspen. I'm not coming. For once please don't argue with me on this. I need to make sure this plane goes down."

He was suddenly blurry, and Aspen realized she'd started crying. "No, you said that last time, but we both made it out. I'm not just leaving you. You're not sacrificing yourself."

"Hey, it's alright, it's going to be alright." He took a step toward her, cupping her face in his hands. "This is what I wanted to do – I wanted to help my country, and this is the best way I know how."

"Then let me stay."

"No. I can't let you do that. You still have a chance at a life, Aspen. I can't let you give that up."

"I'm not leaving without you," she told him. "You asked me to marry you."

"And now I'm asking you to let me go so that I can do the right thing."

"It wasn't supposed to be this way," Aspen said, her voice catching. "You're supposed to defeat the villain and make it back home safe. That's what heroes do."

"Sometimes we don't get the ending we want, but one of us needs to make it home safe. One of us needs to know if we won the war. I want that to be you, Aspen. Bucky would have too. He would have wanted you to survive."

"He would have wanted_ us _to survive. I can't even picture a life without you. I just see darkness. Don't do this, please," she pleaded with him. "Or at least let me stay with you."

"Only one person needs to fly this plane," Steve told her. "I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself just so you can stay with me. The war isn't won yet. There is so much more good you can do. I'm passing that onto you. The world needs you."

"It needs you too."

"I know. That's why I'm taking this plane down. I know deep down inside you understand even if you don't want to. This is what it means to be a soldier – sacrificing your life so that others can live theirs. I can't think of a better way to die. Freedom never came easily, but I'm willing to fight for it no matter what the cost. You need to keep fighting. For me." He looked her in the eye, his own blue eyes desperate. "Please."

Aspen shook her head stubbornly. Steve leaned his head against hers. "Why are you so stubborn?" he asked softly.

"Because I love you."

In response he leaned down and kissed her. It was a slow and lingering kiss like a goodbye. Aspen could taste the salt of her tears as they ran down her face. She clung to Steve until he gently pulled away. "Just, come over here and stand a minute. I need to see where we are," he said.

"You're letting me stay?" Aspen asked. She let him guide her to a place a few feet away from the pilot's seat.

Steve didn't reply at first. He fiddled with something on the control panel and then turned to look at her. The heartbreak in his eyes tore Aspen apart. "I'm sorry, but no," he said. "I love you, Aspen. Don't ever stop fighting." He pressed a button.

Too late Aspen looked down to see a metal hatch below her feet open up. As she fell, she looked up to see Steve's bright blue eyes. He looked so sad in that moment, and Aspen realized it was the last time she would ever see him. Time seemed to slow as her parachute expanded and caught the wind. She hovered mid-air, watching as the silvery body of the Leviathan head straight toward the icy expanse below. The cold air choked the breath out of her, and her face felt numb, the tears freezing against her skin as a permanent reminder of her sorrow. Then the Leviathan hit the earth.

Metal scattered, coming off with the force as the plane skidded across the ice, crumpling under the force. She began to drift downward away from the crash as the plane began to sink under the icy water.

Just like that he was gone.

Steve Rogers, _her_ Steve with his blue eyes that reminded her of the sky after a rain; his smile, hesitant, shy, but genuine; his voice, soft and caring, never judging. He would never hold her again, never smile, never laugh, never kiss her. She would only see his face in memories, and memories weren't enough. She'd lost too many people to believe that illusion. Memories weren't concrete. She couldn't feel them, couldn't hold them. They just floated around in her head like mocking reminders of all she couldn't have.

He was a hero. Not just as Captain America but as the man who had been willing to risk his life to become the perfect embodiment of the American soldier. He'd risked everything to free his best friend and hundreds of soldiers from Hydra's clutches. He'd sacrificed himself so that no one else would have to die by Schmidt's hand.

As the parachute slowly drifted toward the icy water below, Aspen suddenly thought of the article she'd written so many years before when the war hadn't seemed quite as real. _In a time of war, we need a hero, we need a captain, we need someone to wear our Red, White, and Blue with pride. _

She had found her hero, but it wasn't Captain America. She had found him before they had both joined the war, back home in New York in a boxing gym where he tried so hard to be good enough to be a soldier. If she had told the recruiters what this small boy would achieve with the very same mind and determination and cleverness that he'd always had, they would have been only too willing to give him a chance. Steve Rogers was her hero because he had always been ready to sacrifice himself to save the world even when the world wouldn't give him a chance. And now he'd given her a second chance. It would be a disrespect to him if she simply gave up. She managed to maneuver her legs so that they were above a drifting piece of ice. She could no longer see the ruins of the plane having drifted too far away. Or perhaps they had sunk below the surface of the earth, hiding all evidence of what Steve had done. The world would know though. Aspen would shout it to the streets if she had to. _You see this man? The one in the star-spangled suit? He's the reason you have your freedom. He was willing to pay the price for it. _

His legend would live on for as long as she still had breath to speak of it. She fumbled in her pocket, hands numb from the cold, and pulled out a small radio she had forgotten about until then. She turned the knob to the correct frequency and spoke into it.

"This is Aspen Tolvar. I need help."


	17. Epilogue

**Author's Note: **Here we are! I promise there is a happy ending! Thank you SO much for reading! I really appreciate it!

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

**April 21****st****, 2012 New York City, Central Park**

Steve Rogers looked down at his sketchpad and realized he'd been sitting with the pencil slack in his hand for some time. He checked his watch and saw that he'd been sitting there for over three hours. It wasn't like he had anywhere to be. Ever since waking up in the 21st century, he'd struggled to find much of a purpose. Everyone he knew was dead. The world was so different, that he wasn't sure where he fit in anymore. The time for heroes was over, and he wasn't sure he wanted to go back to that. SHIELD had been kind to him ever since Nick Fury, the director of the intelligence organization, had cleared up the confusion surrounding Steve's sudden arrival in a new age. A lot of people had been curious, fascinated even. One of the other patients in the medical ward he'd stayed in the first few days had even asked for his autograph before a disgruntled nurse had ushered her out. It was strange waking up in a world he didn't recognize where some people still knew who he was. They all sympathized, told him how strange it must be to have woken up nearly seventy years into the future. But they couldn't possibly understand. No one could because as far as he knew, no one had ever gone through something similar to what he had. Everyone else got married, had kids, and died. Well, not everyone.

He'd asked about Aspen the second day after waking up. No one had heard of her at first, but at his insistence, Fury had dug up some information on her. After the war, which she played a big role in helping win alongside the Howling Commandos, Aspen had stayed on in Europe for awhile working to hunt down remaining Hydra agents. She'd made a name for herself and had worked alongside Howard Stark, Colonel Phillips, and Peggy Carter. After twenty years of service with what had become the earliest version of SHIELD along with helping other causes in the name of freedom, Aspen had disappeared. There was no recorded date of death, no sign of her. It was as if she'd simply vanished. It broke Steve's heart that now hardly anyone had heard of her.

Realizing he wasn't going to get any more drawing done, Steve closed his sketchbook and stowed it in the pocket of his jacket. He stood, stretching his legs which were stiff after so much time of inactivity, and turned. He stopped short when he saw that someone was watching him across the way. Her long red hair was braided down the side of her head, and her green eyes stood out, filled with a mixture of emotions: heartache, happiness, excitement. It took Steve a few moments to register why this girl would feel such things by simply seeing him. Then recognition dawned. But it was impossible…she didn't look a day over twenty. Her face was unlined, hair fully red. Was she a ghost? A memory? A dream? Was he really still in the ice and this was all just an illusion? Then she spoke, and her voice…he would know that voice anywhere. He'd thought of it since the moment he'd woken up.

"Hello, Steve." She said it without surprise as if she'd known he'd be here and had been waiting to meet him.

"How is this possible?" he finally asked, his voice quieter than he had meant it to be.

She heard him anyway. Her lips raised in a sad smile. "You're not the only one who cheated time," she said, taking a step toward him. He could hear her footsteps on the cobblestones, see her shadow spread out behind her. She was real. "When I turned forty and still looked like I was twenty, I realized what the Compound was that Zola had injected me with. It slowed my aging. I should be in my nineties by now, but I have the body of a twenty-something year old. That was when I disappeared. People had started noticing that I didn't seem to age. I also hit a dark spot realizing that my life had been extended as if I needed longer to suffer. Without you there wasn't anything left for me. I poured myself into work, but it never filled that empty hole inside of me. Until I heard that they found you in the ice. I couldn't believe it. I thought you were dead. In all the years of wishing you were still alive, I never actually imagined that you were, that you had somehow survived that crash."

"You're really here."

Aspen smiled, laughing softly. The sound of her laughter was like hearing home somehow contained in that single sound. She reached him, and he looked down into the familiar face that – to him – he had last seen only a few days ago. He didn't remember being in the ice, but he remembered watching the look of horror on her face as she realized what he had done. "I'm really here. I had to see you for myself, I could hardly believe it."

"How did you know I'd be here?"

"I didn't. But I think I'm starting to believe in fate after all." Her smile faded, and she looked down at the ground for a moment. "Do you think," she started, looking back up at him, "that we could start over now that we've been offered this second chance?"

"I've never wanted anything more," he told her. Her smile grew again.

"I missed you so much," she told him. He could see the heartbreak in her eyes and knew she was thinking about all the long years she had spent alone.

"I know. I'm sorry we never got our life together."

"We're both here now. If you still…feel the same way."

"You mean if I still love you?" She nodded shyly. "Aspen, I just woke up a few days ago thinking I was still in 1945. My love for you hasn't gone anywhere." He reached out and touched her face. She closed her eyes and leaned into his palm. A single tear leaked out of her eye, and he wiped it away.

"I never thought I'd be happy again," Aspen said. She opened her eyes, and Steve saw that a fresh wave of tears was forming. He wanted to stop them so he leaned in and kissed her. Aspen wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. He could feel the longing in her touch, the desperation as if she was afraid she'd lose him again. "Don't ever leave me," she whispered against his lips.

He kissed her again. "I won't," he promised, sliding his hand into hers.

**The End**


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